The Mpumalanga police commissioner, who has been on suspension since 2024, is to face disciplinary proceedings just after making explosive claims about senior police officers, including the national commissioner.
Lt-Gen Daphney Manamela, who was suspended on June 14 2024 for a second time due to a number of allegations, is expected to appear before a disciplinary committee next week.
In a letter dated April 24, which Sowetan has seen, the Office of the State Attorney’s Cindy Cronjé tells Manamela’s lawyers that the board of inquiry has been set down for May 4-8, and will proceed on the first set of charges against her.
The letter further addresses the media briefing in which Manamela levelled accusations against suspended national commissioner Gen Fannie Masemola and former police minister Bheki Cele.
“As far as the press conference your client convened on April 19 is concerned, we place on record that your client violated established professional protocol regarding both communication with the media and the reporting of allegations of alleged misconduct and/or corruption within the South African Police Service (SAPS),” read the letter.
The allegations, despite pertaining to events that allegedly occurred three years ago, have never been made by her before, and are made now only because she has recently been informed that her term of office, which expires on June 30, will not be renewed
— Cindy Cronjé, Office of the State Attorney
During the media briefing, Manamela alleged interference in political cases, illegal mining and kidnapping matters.
She also claimed senior officials failed to act against corruption concerns.
Manamela also claimed that Masemola was protecting corrupt officers.
She said she had been sidelined for acting against corruption in the police, adding her suspension came while she was taking action against officers allegedly involved in extortion and corruption.
However, Cronjé says in the letter that the allegations Manamela made were unsupported by a shred of evidence.
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“The allegations, despite pertaining to events that allegedly occurred three years ago, have never been made by her before, and are made now only because she has recently been informed that her term of office, which expires on June 30, will not be renewed.”
Cronjé goes on to say that if there were any basis to the allegations that Manamela had made or her claims that her suspension was retaliatory, in response to her acting against corruption within the police, it was inconceivable that she would not have raised these before.
“Moreover, the board of inquiry, pending for the last three years, provided her with the obvious opportunity to ventilate and prove such allegations. Your client failed to do that and has instead stonewalled the board of inquiry at every opportunity.”
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The allegations made at the media briefing in Mbombela were vexatious, defamatory and had brought the SAPS into disrepute, Cronje said.
“The acting national commissioner and the SAPS reserve the right to respond fully to all the allegations made by your client at the appropriate time.”
Cronjé then cautions Manamela that should she fail to appear at the board of inquiry, the matter will proceed in her absence.
First suspension
Manamela was first suspended on February 24 2023 after then-police minister Bheki Cele preferred charges against her.
Allegations against Manamela were that she had instructed several Mpumalanga police station commanders to use state funds to buy her furniture and appliances to the tune of R2m to welcome her as the top cop after her July 21 2021 appointment.
After her suspension, she launched an urgent application for her suspension to be lifted and the minister’s decision to establish a board of inquiry reviewed and set aside.
On March 23 2023, the court ruled in her favour, granting an order to lift her suspension.
However, on September 18 2023, Cele set down a board of inquiry.
Manamela then brought an urgent application for an order interdicting Cele from establishing the board of inquiry pending the determination of the review application.
The following month, an order was made, by agreement between the parties, to postpone the board of inquiry indefinitely pending the determination of the review application.
In May 2024, Masemola brought more charges against Manamela and gave her notice of his intention to place her on suspension.
That subsequently led to her suspension the following month.
Sowetan reached out to Manamela for a comment but she said she was not in a position to speak.
Sowetan
Jeanette Chabalala
www.timeslive.co.za
