MBOMBELA – Out with the old, in with the new: Mpumalanga has a new general heading the province’s branch of the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DCPI) also known as the Hawks.
Capt Paul Ramaloko, spokesman for the Hawks, confirmed on Tuesday that Maj Gen Yolisa Seothula now headed the provincial office. This came after the former head, Maj Gen Simon Mapyane, was moved to the national head office the previous Friday.
Mapyane faces charges of fraud related to travel claims and is due back in the Nelspruit Magistrate’s Court next month. Members of the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) embarked on a sit-in at the Hawks’ provincial offices the week before over, among other things, what they called a lack of action taken against Mapyane since his arrest last year.
Popcru provincial chairman, Mr Life Mononi told Lowvelder they staged the sit-in to get the attention of national police commissioner Gen Riah Phiyega and national head of the Hawks Gen Anwa Dramat. They had meetings with Dramat over the weekend and it was planned to have more in future to address grievances raised by Popcru members.
Mononi said these they would prefer to resolve internally. Ramaloko added the decision for the move was a mutual one between Mapyane and Dramat. He would not discuss any disciplinary procedures, saying the issue was between the employer and employee.
