The South African Police Service SAPS says it knows nothing about a warrant of arrest against its National Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola.
Economic Freedom Fighters EFF leader Julius Malema claimed at a media briefing on Thursday 24 July that there were plans to arrest Masemola.
"There is a warrant of arrest against Masemola. I don't know why he's not being picked up, he claimed.
It means someone, somewhere, is playing politics, and somehow they want to undermine, once more, the independence of our justice system. Masemola is being arrested for what he did with SAPS Divisional Commander Lt-Gen Dumisani Khumalo in Crime Intelligence."
On 26 June, the National Prosecuting Authoritys Independent Directorate Against Corruption IDAC arrested seven senior SAPS officials on fraud and corruption charges, including Khumalo.
Malema alleged that Maemolas arrest was set to happen the same week KwaZulu-Natal Police Commissioner, Lt-Gen Nhlanhla Mkhwanazi , held his explosive media briefing on 6 July.
Mkhwanazi claimed Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, with the alleged help of Deputy National Police Commissioner for Crime Detection Lt-Gen Shadrack Sibiya, had allegedly interfered in police operations at the behest of a crime syndicate. Both Mchunu and Sibiya have denied this.
"So, I thought Mkhwanazi's press conference was a pre-emptive strategy , and perhaps the arrest of Masemola is delayed by that or will be seen as if we are fighting back or anything of that sort, the EFF leader claimed.
"Once a warrant of arrest is issued, it means there is some sort of evidence or wrongdoing, which must be tested in court. So, we will have to make sure that this is followed through.
SAPS denies Masemola arrest warrant allegationHowever, speaking to Kaya 959 on Thursday, SAPS national spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe said the Service was not aware of any warrant of arrest for General Masemola.