Africa-Press – South-Africa. Public Interest South Africa (PISA) has described the attendance of the second-in-command of SAPS Crime Intelligence at the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) lavish gala dinner as shameful and a slap in the face of South Africans grappling with widespread crime.
The organisation said it was disturbed by the fact that Major-General Feroz Khan’s close, public association with the EFF and its allegedly venal benefactors is being embraced and celebrated by the party, some of whose leaders are implicated in the VBS bank scandal and other alleged crimes.
This comes after News24 reported that Khan had shared a table with self-confessed tobacco smuggler Adriano Mazzotti.
Khan said that he had attended the dinner for “work”. News24 has confirmed that his ticket was bought by Mazzotti’s business partner and Khan’s close friend, Mohammadh Sayed.
“While Section 46(2)(b) does not prohibit SAPS members from attending political meetings, we find the political fraternisation of Khan, the second-in-command of Crime Intelligence at the SAPS, with confessed criminals and political leaders currently under scrutiny by the criminal justice system, to be undesirable, shameful, offensive to, and [a] slap [in] the face of South Africans who are grappling with widespread crime,” PISA chairperson Tebogo Khaas said in a statement.
“In light of [a] recent ruling by the SCA confirming financial ties between Julius Malema, leader of the EFF, and the corruption at the now-defunct VBS bank, this association is a painful reminder for the victims of VBS corruption of the unbridled impunity of powerful politicians, businessmen, BEE askaris and tenderpreneurs,” he added.
Khan was seated with Mazzotti who has admitted to tax authorities that he and his company Carnilinx, which donates money to the EFF and some of its leaders, was involved in cigarette smuggling.
“The willingness of certain political leaders to associate with and support individuals involved in unlawful extraction and smuggling of Sub-Sahara Africa’s precious minerals is a clear display of moral depravity,” Khaas said.
“While there may not be apparent legal violations by Major-General Khan, Public Interest SA urgently requests national police commissioner [Fannie] Masemola to initiate an internal investigation into Khan’s actions and proximity to those in the crosshairs of the criminal justice system.”
“We seek assurance from the SAPS that no regulations were breached, and if any misconduct is found, swift and appropriate action will be taken against Major-General Khan.”
The organisation called on the police and other state entities to institute “comprehensive ethical leadership training programmes” for their senior officials. It added that these programmes should include guidance on navigating potential conflicts of interest, avoiding inappropriate associations, and upholding the principles of impartiality and fairness in all their actions.
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