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Former Hawks head Berning Ntlemeza’s chances of returning to work are fading fast.
Ntlemeza lost a bid to return to the top post pending the finalisation of his appeal application when the Supreme Court of Appeal dismissed his appeal against the implementation of an earlier ruling.
The previous ruling found that Ntlemeza was not fit to hold office and ordered his removal pending any appeal process.
Ntlemeza has been in and out of court since his submission of a false affidavit when he suspended former Gauteng Hawks head Shadrack Sibiya.
Last month, he lost another court case in which he wanted to interdict Police Minister Fikile Mbalula’s attempt to stop him from continuing as the boss of the Hawks.
The Pretoria High Court previously found Ntlemeza’s appointment invalid. That ruling is currently being challenged.
City Press reported in January that then police minister Nathi Nhleko allegedly ignored a short list of five highly qualified police officers when he went ahead and appointed Ntlemeza as head of the priority crimes investigation unit. This report was denied by Nhleko’s spokesperson, Sandile Ngidi.
After the first process was concluded in 2013, Nhleko readvertised the job and hired Ntlemeza.
No explanation was provided to the short-listed candidates for the reasons the post was readvertised, said two of the applicants City Press interviewed.
A confidential information note, dated December 2013, details the short list of candidates for the Hawks post.
The five were selected over 22 other applicants, including Ntlemeza, who did not make the short list.
They were Major-General Oswald Reddy, Major-General Liziwe Ntshinga, Lieutenant General Lebeoana Tsumane, Major-General Jan Mabula and retired Lieutenant General Godfrey Lebeya.
They had been interviewed by a panel that included former State Security Agency director-general Sonto Kudjoe, department of home affairs director-general Mkuseli Apleni, defence intelligence head Mduduzi Nyembe and State Security Agency corporate services head JSC Mosikare.
