Hawks head seeks interdict against 'interfering' Minister

General Mthandazo Ntlemeza is seeking a restraining order against Police Minister Fikile Mbalula whom he accuses of interfering with his job as head of the Hawks. He is asking for the Minister to be interdicted from preventing him from entering the office of the National Head of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (the Hawks) in Silverton, Pretoria. Ntlemeza is also asking the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) to stop Mbalula from embarrassing‚ humiliating and ridiculing him in public, says a TimesLIVE report, which notes Mbalula and Ntlemeza are engaged in a stand-off with the Minister insisting Ntlemeza is not allowed to return to work and Ntlemeza claiming the Minister is on the ‘warpath’ and hostile towards him. A Pretoria News report notes Ntlemeza also wants the Minister to be ordered to return him (Ntlemeza) his official vehicle and cellphone, as he said without these he cannot attend to his official meetings. He wants the court to order that he remains head of the Hawks, pending the outcome of appeal proceedings before the SCA, and, in an unusual move, is asking that the Minister pay for the application from his own pocket. The application is set down for hearing on 2 May. The Minister was given until then to file opposing papers.