Hawks boss Godfrey Lebeya briefed the media in Pretoria on Sunday to unpack the organisation’s achievements during the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year. Picture: GCIS
Hawks head Lieutenant-General Godfrey Lebeya said the Gauteng province is continung its lead as the crime hub in South Africa.
The Directorate for Priority Crime Investigations (DPCI), also known as the Hawks, briefed the media in Pretoria on Sunday to unpack the organisation’s achievements during the first quarter of the 2024/2025 financial year.
Lebeya said Gauteng has retained its lead as the hub for serious crime in the country, adding that the province continues to serve as a hunting ground for criminals and serious crimes.
“Most of these arrests were effected in the Gauteng province, with 167 suspects arrested followed by KwaZulu-Natal province with 114, the North West province with 92, Mpumalanga province with 57 and the Eastern Cape province with 56 suspects.”
Lebeya said the DPCI has made significant inroads in apprehending individuals involved in high-profile cases, thus ensuring accountability and justice for the victims.
Lebeya said every case tackled by his division is a priority that must be followed to the very end.
He said officials will also continue to closely monitor the corruption case against former Sports, Arts, and Culture Minister Zizi Kodwa and former EOH Group senior executive Jehan MacKay.
Last week, while making an appearance at Palm Ridge Specialised Commercial Crimes Court, the state projected an application by McKay to have the charges against him dropped in the corruption case involving Kodwa.
McKay is accused of paying Kodwa up to R1.7 million in kickbacks in exchange for government tenders.
Lebeya said they monitoring the case.
“On the 5th of June 2024, the duo handed themselves over to the Hawks’ multi-disciplinary State Capture Task Team of the Serious Corruption Investigation at Bramley Police Station. They appeared in the Specialised Commercial Crimes Court sitting in Palm Ridge where they were granted R30 000 bail each.
“They are facing charges relating to the Prevention and Combatting of Corrupt Activities Act (PRECCAA) as well as Prevention of Organised Crime Act (POCA). The case is remanded to 10 September 2024 for representation,” Lebeya said.
Lebeya said the Hawks also made several arrests targeting people involved in serious corruption, fraud, money laundering, police killings, cash-in-transit robberies, illegal mining, damage to essential infrastructure and crimes against the state.
He gave an update on uMkhonto weSizwe party (MK) senior leader, Visvin Reddy, who appeared in court on charges of inciting public violence.
“He was threatening that the country will be plunged into civil war the day his political party is not appearing on the ballot paper and not allowed to campaign. He further threatened that they will make sure that no one will make it to the voting stations. He was calling for the curtailing of the constitutional rights of willing voters to exercise their democratic right to vote.
“On 26 March 2024, Reddy was served with summons to appear before court on 3 April 2024. He appeared in court where he was released on warning and the case is postponed to 30 August 2024 in the Chatsworth Regional Court,” Lebeya said.
Lebeya said among the successes was the key arrest of a Mpumalanga resident who incited public violence that endangered the President Cyril Ramaphosa’s life.
“During March 2023, Elrico Kaizer Kasper (38) irresponsibly posted on social media that ‘some people’ were planning to assassinate President Matamela Cyril Ramaphosa during his visit to De Aar on the Human Rights day celebration.
“On 22 May 2024, Kasper was convicted by De Aar Regional Court and sentenced to five years imprisonment for cyber fraud.
Lebeya also expressed concerns about police killings saying an attack on a police officer is an act of undermining the authority of the state
“The DPCI shall continue to effectively respond to these crimes. Twenty-one members were killed in the 1st quarter of 2024/2025 with sixteen of those having been killed whilst off duty and five whilst on duty.
“Eighteen arrests were effected of which nine were effected on the 21 cases reported for the period while nine were on eight cases registered prior to the 1st quarter,” Lebeya said.
Lebeya said in revelling thee accomplishments, the Hawks have taken note that the fight against national priority offences remains an ongoing challenge that requires sustained commitment and collaboration.
ALSO READ: Hawks head concerned by high number of police officers killed in SA
Download our app and read this and other great stories on the move. Available for Android and iOS.
