SUSPENDED national police commissioner General Riah Phiyega’s legal team yesterday said they were still awaiting the findings of the Classen Board of Inquiry.
This comes after City Press yesterday reported that Phiyega had been found unfit to hold office and the board would recommend her dismissal.
Phiyega’s lawyer, Sandile July, said: “We are surprised City Press knows about the report as we have no idea what is in it.”
DA shadow minister of police, Zakhele Mbhele, said the report into Phiyega’s fitness must be tabled in Parliament.
Cope spokesman Dennis Bloem said Phiyega alone could not be found unfit to hold office.
“We don’t believe it’s fair for her to take all the blame for what happened at Marikana.
“We have said on many occasions that Phiyega must not be made a scapegoat to cover up for senior leaders in government.
“There are people who want to see her gone, but we know her fierce determination to protect her name is making the government very nervous.”
President Jacob Zuma commissioned the board to investigate whether Phiyega misled the Marikana Commission of Inquiry by hiding her decision to implement a tactical option at a meeting of senior police the day before the massacre.
The board also investigated whether Phiyega lied about the police acting in self-defence. Three sources with knowledge of the findings told sister newspaper City Press the inquiry found Phiyega had lied to the Marikana Commission.
- News24 reported that according to her lawyer Phiyega has declined to comment.
