JOHAN Booysen with Jessica Pitchford will be launching Blood on their Hands on Thursday, December 1 at 18:00 at Mugg and Bean, Mall of the South, corner Swartkoppies and Kliprivier Drive, Aspen Hills.
Everyone is welcome at the launch. This book is a must-read for all South Africans.
“Despite the ease of the read, Blood on their Hands is difficult to swallow… By the time you reach the final chapter, the picture will be clear but you will be left astonished at the sheer audacity of it all,” wrote Mandy Wiener for the Daily Maverick.
Published in September, Blood on their Hands sold out within a fortnight of its release. The first book by a serving general in the SAPS, it traces the life and times of Johan Booysen, from his early years on patrol in the ’70s, dealing with the political violence that spilled over into crime fighting in the ’80s and the tricky police transition to democracy in the ’90s.
Booysen was KZN’s top cop when it came to violent crime: over the years he headed Organised Crime, Serious and Violent Crime and Priority Crimes. In 2010 he was appointed to head the Hawks in the province, overseeing investigations like the R144-million ‘Amigos’ case in which Uruguayan businessman Gaston Savoi was accused of bribing top ANC officials, and was involved in the arrest of gangs responsible for cash-in-transit heists and ATM bombings.
But it was when he began investigating suspicious dealings between politically connected businessman Thoshan Panday and the SAPS procurement division that General Booysen believes his problems began. Although instructed repeatedly by his provincial commander, Mmamonye Ngobeni, now suspended, to forgo the investigation, he refused. With the blessing of then national Hawks head Anwa Dramat, he froze Panday’s payments, only to be visited by President Zuma’s son, Edward, who asked him to release the funds.
Months later, Booysen found himself being dragged down the corridors of power and politics into a web of intrigue, deceit and betrayal that he had trouble making sense of. Suspended and charged with racketeering, he turned to the courts.
“I decided to force SAPS to treat me fairly. I wasn’t going to take it lying down. But each time I beat them in court, they found some other reason to get rid of me, even fraud…”
The general believes his ordeal is a precursor to the stories of state capture with which we are now so familiar, be it SARS, the National Prosecuting Authority, or the Hawks.
“There are those hell-bent on protecting certain elements in government, by making sure pliable people are in key positions…I was born to be a policeman and I want to be remembered for being a good policeman. If the last thing I do is expose those destroying the criminal justice system, I’ll be happy…Many people turn silent when faced by injustice, but it’s apathy that creates a breeding ground for evil…Speak up when you see something is wrong…Get involved, write to your local paper, make your public officials accountable. It’s your country and it’s your right,” added Booysen.
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