National Ipid, Hawks swoop on Phahlane’s home and associates Homes and businesses of some associates of former acting commissioner Khomotso Phahlane were raided and car and documents seized BL PREMIUM

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) along with the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation have raided properties belonging to business people suspected of having an inappropriate relationship with former acting police commissioner Khomotso Phahlane. The raids came less than two weeks after Khehla Sitole was appointed as the new national police commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS). The appointment of Sitole appears to have emboldened Ipid after years of intimidation and conflict with SAPS. The raids also coincided with Ipid executive director Robert McBride’s remarks in Parliament that he was confident Sitole’s appointment would allow Ipid to function without intimidation.Sitole told Parliament last week that he would be ringing in major changes in the SAPS, including lifestyle audits for high-ranking officers and changing the appointment system to ensure nobody entered the police ranks without some form of security clearance. He cited the...