Mpumalanga police spokesman Brigadier Selvy Mohlala has been suspended pending disciplinary procedures in relation to a December interview he gave on Newzroom Africa wherein he alleged that Mpumalanga Provincial Police Commissioner Lieutenant General Semakaleng Daphney Manamela did nothing wrong by allegedly accepting around R2.1 million in state funded gifts to celebrate her 2021 appointment.

Brigadier Mohlala received the notice of suspension on 8 January this year, following the interview on 28 December 2023, which is still up on Facebook, thus far generating only 234 views, six likes and a single crying face emoji and comment.

He was suspended for allegedly contravening the South African Police Service discipline regulations, knowing that a national probe was underway over internal testimony that Lieutenant General Manamela pressurised police top brass to contribute.

Apart from stating that the provincial commissioner did nothing wrong by accepting gifts to the value of over R2 million, Brigadier Mohlala further accused a former Mpumalanga police commissioner Thulani Ntobela, who headed a forensic investigation into the lavish welcome of Lieutenant General Manamela, of having also benefited from internal tea-club donations during his run as Police chief.

Ntobela, now a forensic investigator, conducted the investigation against Lieutenant General Manamela pro-bono, despite Manamela not being his immediate successor, with Ntobela having retired in 2014.

Brigadier Mohlala, according to the interview, even provided video evidence, he urged Newzroom Africa to publish, seemingly to prove Ntobela’s alleged hypocrisy.

Brigadier Mohlala, according to the charge, undermined the authority of the national commissioner to institute processes in terms of section 6 and 9 of the South African Police Service Act of 1995. Lieutenant General Manamela has cleared a first hurdle after her suspension was set aside by the High Court last year.

Lieutenant General Manamela is still in her position as Mpumalanga’s top cop.

Apart from the tea-club contributions from across the province, she is also accused of nepotism, abuse of power and corruption in Ntobela’s report which resulted in the national probe into her office.

Lieutenant General Manamela denies the allegations.