The aim is to get her suspended and then for an acting commissioner to be put in her stead.
The Mpumalanga SAPS battle currently afoot to get rid of Semakaleng Manamela as police boss keeps heating up everyday, with her barely into her second year of a five year term. The latest is the emergence of a forensic report into her misconduct secretly compiled by senior cops opposed to her rule and which got leaked to journalists weeks before she even got to be aware of it.
The document details how Manamela was allegedly showered with gifts that include furniture by police stations across Mpumalanga, as the rank and file wished her all the best as their new leader in her endeavour to lead them as their top cop at the start of her term in July 2021.
It also shows how organisers for Manamela’s welcome party collected R1.7-million to shower her with gifts at SAPS “welcome parties” held in the different districts and a gala event held at The Ridge hotel in eMalahleni, at which she was introduced to communities and stakeholders across the province as the new police leader between July 2021 and December 2021.
According to the report, the gifts included a R78 410 TV stand, couches costing R60 000 as well as R82 332 worth of household appliances.
The forensic report is compiled by former Mpumalanga police boss Thulani Ntobela – seen as being aligned to Manamela’s opponents in SAPS – recommends that she should be investigated for alleged corruption, maladministration and nepotism, and the national head General Fannie Masemola is asked to place her on suspension while he probes allegations contained in the report.
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The battles in the provincial constabulary resemble those that once took South Africa by storm a decade ago when police minister Bheki Cele was the national commissioner and when his rival Richard Mdluli led under his command as intelligence unit boss.
They also resemble the battles between President Cyril Ramaphosa and his rival former President Jacob Zuma, and even the recent battles between resigned national commissioner Khehla Sitole and Cele, as well as the battle that ensued between deputy president DD Mabuza and his anointed Mpumalanga Premier Refilwe Mtshweni-Tsipane after Mtshweni-Tsipane refused to take orders from Mabuza as his stooge in power.
In most cases in these battles, the use of dirty tricks to wrestle opponents down is important and tacticians of these dirty tricks are sharply aware of the key role that journalists can play in placing the battles at greater heights for the final ends of achieving a win.
Journalists are therefore seen as being important functionaries when these battles ensue.
SEE ALSO: Inside Mpumalanga SAPS squabbles
For example in 2010, Cele’s cellphone was illegally bugged by Mdluli so that the information obtained from the interception could be leaked to journalists while on other hand Cele was also investigating Mdluli’s cover-up of a murder case he was involved in while he was a station commander in Vosloorus in the late 1990s and also the abuse of crime intelligence funds after he took over as crime intelligence head in 2009.
In Mpumalanga the battles are even more dramatic, and are directly linked to national internal squabbles and ANC factional battles because senior cops in charge of police management understand that the more they are in positions the more their friends in criminal syndicates would be protected and the more money they will make.
The battles also look like the ones that took place when former deputy president Jacob Zuma wrestled President Thabo Mbeki in 2008 and the purpose for engaging in those battles is to take hold of the levers of power from the incumbent.
Sources claim the battles are so grave that each and every senior provincial cop is out to protect their skins, whether it means the death of others or the loss of careers…
013NEWS today will report about how ugly these battles have turned and how senior cops within the SAPS leadership level are using dirty tricks to get rid of their opponents, like Manamela and allies – so that – “as soon as possible” – a favoured ally replaces her and key positions are filled by cops favoured by a certain grouping.
This paper today also reports how Witbank’s Vosman police station commander Brigadier Lindani Ndlovu is allegedly leading the charge for Manamela to be removed from the position of Mpumalanga police commissioner after an alleged fallout with her.
Police insiders also claim that Manamela is actually weaker against a patriarchal “layer of men” inside the service who report to politicians and who want her dethroned for “nefarious reasons” – and that also includes her own deputy, detectives boss Major-General Botsotso Moukangwe, who Manamela’s rivals allegedly need to take over as Mpumalanga police leader once and for all!
Police spokesman Brigadier Selvy Mohlala declined to comment about internal squabbles and said “rumours are dangerous and seek to divide good people” and that “once we are aware of the so-called ‘squabbles’ we will be in a better position to comment”.
“For now we are doing well in fighting crime as you have seen in statistics and that’s the task of the SAPS in the province and we are happy with that. I think that answers your questions,” Mohlala said Friday 30 September 2022, claiming that they are honestly not “aware” of infightings and once they know anything about them they “will then know how to speak about those battles”.
The current police battles in Mpumalanga began after Manamela was appointed police boss in July 2021 after serving 10 years as one of the 6 major-generals – meaning that she was one of the 6 deputy provincial commissioners reporting first to former Mpumalanga police boss – and author of the forensic report – Thulani Ntobela and thereafter retired general Mondli Zuma.
In the top provincial structure, one deputy is responsible for crime intelligence, one for the Hawks, another for visible policing, another for detectives services, another for management intervention and another human resources services.
Manamela reported to Zuma as provincial head for management intervention, during which time now Limpopo police boss Lieutenant-General Thembi Hadebe was head of HR services, Major-General Zodwa Mokoena head of the Hawks, and Major-General Thulani Phaahla visible policing.
Insiders told 013NEWS how cases actually get “buried” at detective level – an important layer in SAPS responsible for ensuring prosecution.
“There at detective level, you can do your job well at crime prevention level and make arrests but what will happen to those cases because you will be told by the detectives that there is no proof, that those arrested people actually never committed such crime, and even when the NPA gets interested in the case but the detectives will bungle the investigation or remove certain key elements in the docket so that those accused people do not really get prosecuted and convicted.
“Those people we have arrested especially in the illegal mining syndicates won’t be prosecuted because the detectives will ensure that the court doesn’t really find the evidence to secure a successful conviction, so the battles are more sophisticated than they will appear to the naked eyes and that’s where the battles to fight crime really begins,” one of the sources said.
The source is referring in part to the court manager at eMalahleni Magistrates Court, a number of cops and various others who have been arrested and are faced with charges of cable theft and “the removal and mining of mineral resources without mining rights or an approved environmental management plan or permit”, according to NPA spokeswoman Monica Nyuswa.
Three weeks ago 013NEWS learnt from highly-placed senior officers how Manamela’s foes wanted her removed so that Moukangwe should act in her position.
Moukangwe’s personal assistant told 013NEWS he was in a meeting and that she didn’t know when he would be out to answer media enquiries about allegations that he is being pumped to take Manamela’s job. His comment will be added when he answers his phone.
ALSO SEE: Semakaleng Manamela’s career path
Sources claim that Ndlovu, being the station commander in one of Witbank’s police stations, is responsible for the protection of illegal mining kingpins, which allegedly include certain prominent politicians.
On Friday 30 September 2022, a group of community members marched to to the Vosman police station and demanded that he be removed because he is allegedly engaged in illegal mining, cable theft, theft of diesel and atm bombings and that ever since he took over as station commander the crime in the area has become “exacerbated”.
“Our residential areas (sic) has become a play ground for criminals,” the group claimed in their memorandum.
Sources also claim that the forensic report was actually compiled by former provincial commissioner Thulani Ntobela’s iFirm company and that Ntobela is actually Ndlovu’s uncle.
SEE ALSO: Bheki Cele: Criminals are stealing Eskom coal
“The report was actually done without even interviewing her, basically behind her back and in fact it started before she even became the provincial commissioner and was leaked to journalists before she even got to be aware of it,” one of the sources claimed, adding that they actually believe the report was done only “to damage her character than about accountability”.
But Ndlovu on Monday morning 3 October 2022 told this paper all allegations against him are “unfounded,” including that he leads a charge for Manamela’s removal saying this is part of plans by senior cops and politicians to get rid of him as he is seen as “standing” in their way.
“It’s not true. The fact is that I have stepped on the wrong toes with powerful people at the head office and who are involved in the illegal mining syndicates.
“I’m not shaken and if they have allegations against me they must investigate and take actions against me,” Ndlovu told the 013NEWS reporter Monday.
(edited by ZK)
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