MBOMBELA – The former head of the Hawks in Mpumalanga who returned to work last week, has further been suspended pending internal disciplinary processes against him.
Brig Hangwani Mulaudzi, spokesman for the Hawks, confirmed this week that Maj Gen Simon Mapyane was suspended on Tuesday. He had returned to work in Mbombela last Wednesday after his previous suspension had lapsed. Mulaudzi said there was a court order that barred him from going to the office, which they believed he had violated.
Mapyane stands accused on five counts of fraud related to travel claims. He was arrested in May 2013. He was removed from his position by former Hawks head Lt Gen Anwar Dramat in November last year, after the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) staged a sit-in at the provincial head office in Mbombela to protest the fact that Mapyane remained in his position.
Maj Gen Yoliswa Siyotula was appointing acting head of the province’s unit. Malaudzi said she remained the boss. On Thursday the provincial chairman of the union, Mr Life Monini, said some of the witnesses in the fraud case against Mapyane were employed in the unit and were very angry when he returned to the office.
According to court officials Mapyane’s trial was scheduled to continue on Wednesday and Thursday (yesterday). However, his legal representative confirmed that this was not the case.
