Cape Town -
Western Cape top cop Arno Lamoer and three of his station commanders have been subpoenaed to appear before the commission of inquiry into allegations of police inefficiency in Khayelitsha.
In a press release, retired constitutional court Judge KateO’Regan, who heads the commission, said they had issued subpoenas to Lamoer on Wednesday, as well as to the station commanders of all three police stations in Khayelitsha.
A subpoena had already been served on the acting provincial head of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
Commission evidence leader advocate Nazreen Bawa said the subpoenas requested the police to be present and give evidence on November 12.
They will have to produce specified books, documents or objects in their possession or under their control.
“These include details of staff working at the three police stations between the period January 1, 2010 to August 31, 2012, documents reflecting complaints lodged and received from the directorate and its predecessor [the Independent Complaints Directorate]… documents relating to community police forums, crime statistics, information relating to dockets under the investigation of the police, as well as information relating to the investigation of vigilante violence.”
Meanwhile, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa is going to court in a bid to get the commission set aside.
He is preparing to file papers with the Western Cape High Court “whilst appropriate platforms are followed to address the challenges of crime in Khayelitsha”, his spokesman, Zwele Mnisi, said on Wednesday.
The commission was established by Western Cape premier Helen Zille to investigate alleged police inefficiency in the sprawling township.
Commission secretary Amanda Dissel said the work of the commission would continue regardless of the pending court action.
Mthethwa and Zille had been in talks to resolve the matter of her establishing the commission.
Mthethwa said on Wednesday that during his meetings and correspondence with Zille he had “outlined substantive reasons why he believed the establishment of such a commission was a premature approach in addressing the challenges of crime in Khayelitsha”.
He said he did not question Zille’s powers to set up the commission but remained convinced that there were various avenues where the issue could have been raised, but never was.
“The rationale behind setting up such a commission, which at a strategic level only focuses on the SA Police Service and not the metro police, is suspicious, if not questionable.
“Despite the engagements we held with the premier over the past weeks, it is evident that she is determined to continue with the commission by hook or by crook, which leaves us with no option but to challenge the matter through the legal framework,” Mthethwa said.
Cape Argus