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The union representing scores of police crime intelligence operatives has given newly appointed acting spy boss Patrick Mokushane until the end of business today to rescind his decision to restructure the unit.
In a letter of demand, which City Press has obtained, South African Policing Union lawyer Charl van Eetveldt threatened to go to court should Mokushane continue with the restructuring.
“Should we not receive the undertaking ... within the period of 48 hours, our instructions are to apply to the Labour Court for an urgent interdict,” the letter read.
The move followed Mokushane’s decision to order the country’s spies to vacate the headquarters and be deployed to police clusters. He is giving them until Monday to comply.
“We are left with no choice but to defy his orders. By deploying us to the clusters he is blowing our cover,” said one crime intelligence operative last week.
Crime intelligence officers operate under a strict and confidential environment where their identities and the role they play in information gathering are kept confidential. Part of their responsibilities is to infiltrate syndicates and provide information support to the police about crimes that are planned.
“The manner in which we have also been deployed is inhumane. How does one get a week’s notice to decide to relocate?” asked one crime intelligence officer, who asked to remain anonymous because he was not allowed to speak to the media.
The union’s president, Mpho Kwinika, said the union was challenging the decision and had declared a conflict with the employer.
“We advised the management that they cannot just deploy members without proper consultation. The transfer will not happen,” he said, adding that deploying them at cluster would expose them to some of their colleagues, who shouldn’t know who they were.
One source within crime intelligence, who was close to Mokushane, said all the acting heads wanted the operatives to be out and about.
“They have to be on the ground and serve the public. We cannot have operatives based at the head office while criminals are busy ruling the streets,” the source said.
Another senior source within crime intelligence said the restructuring of the crime intelligence and the re-enlistment of former members from the rank of constable to warrant officer, were processes aimed at creating space for non-security forces members who were allegedly due to be brought into the crime intelligence to handle sensitive investigations.
According to the source, both Mokushane and newly appointed Commissioner Lieutenant-General Lesetja Mothiba last week signed the non-security forces document, which “would allow a number of the Umkhonto weSizwe Military Veterans’ Association members to be re-ranked into high ranking managerial positions in the police starting from full colonel upwards. The cost to the police budget is estimated to be R10 billion.”
Several attempts to reach Mokushane on his phone were fruitless.
