Nhleko wants parliament to banish head of Hawks

Police Minister Nathi Nhleko has taken his bid to oust Hawks head Anwa Dramat to parliament, asking MPs to start a process of firing him.

Nhleko appeared before the police portfolio committee yesterday to explain why he had suspended the head of the Directorate for Priority Crimes Investigation Unit.

The police minister reiterated his stance that he had suspended Dramat over his alleged involvement in the illegal renditions of two Zimbabwean men who were tortured and killed in that country’s jails.

Nhleko argued that this was a gross human rights violations that would have received far more public attention had the victims been white.

When he took over as minister, he told MPs, he had been given several files detailing crime and corruption in police ranks.

In October, he set up a review team to look into the allegations, which reported back to him in December.

-Bianca Capazorio