SACP to file 'plot' affidavit against Hawks head

The SA Communist Party (SACP) will file an affidavit alleging that the head of the Hawks, Berning Ntlemeza, is part of a plot to target and harass the party, says a Business Day report. The decision comes as Police Minister Nathi Nhleko held a media briefing yesterday (see report below) at which he urged political parties and critics to stop making claims of political interference against the police and other law-enforcement agencies. It has drawn the ire of critics who accuse the Minister of undermining the rule of law. Last week, notes the report, the SACP accused Ntlemeza of being part of plans to target and harass the party’s provincial officials. Ntlemeza has also been labelled an ‘apartheid-era cop’ by his critics, an assertion Nhleko took exception to. The SACP also claimed that the Hawks unit was part of a campaign to isolate and target Finance Minister Pravin Gordhan. SACP spokesperson Alex Mashilo reportedly said the party had decided to proceed with filing the affidavit after it had consulted extensively with the party’s legal team. Various documents were still being collated and the party would make an announcement when papers were filed, Mashilo said. The party had a policy to oppose the abuse of state resources or state organs. ‘It is our constitutional right to express our views when we believe something is wrong. We will be pursuing both legal and political avenues to address our concerns.’