Shabangu lashes out at Hawks over raid

Cape Town - Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu has lashed out at the Hawks for their raid on her department's offices and that of the state law adviser, describing it has highly irregular.

Answering questions in the National Assembly on Wednesday, Shabangu also accused the SA Police Services Directorate of Priority Crimes, known as the Hawks, of passing confidential information to mining group Kumba.

"I just need to indicate their action was highly irregular and unacceptable," Shabangu said, responding to a question from Cope MP Philip Dexter.

The raid took place in late July supposedly to obtain information about mining rights that were alleged by Hawks spokesperson Lt. Colonel McIntosh Polela to have been fraudulently awarded.

It transpired that the raid was used to also obtain information relating to the court case between iron and steel producers Kumba Iron Ore [JSE:KIO] , Imperial Crown Trading (ICT) and the department of Mineral Resources and the 21% stake in iron mining operation Sishen.

Shabangu said the State Law Adviser was her department's legal advisor and "...they (the police) do not raid the offices of your legal adviser."

She said the normal procedure would have been for the ministers of police, justice and her to have written to each other over the issue and agreed on a process.

Responding to a separate question on whether the raid suggested "possible collusion" between the Hawks and litigants in the court case, she said it was "quite clear" the Hawks had gone beyond their jurisdiction.

"And we are just surprised about some of the issues... they make us wonder about the relationship between Kumba and the Hawks, as the law enforcement agency," Shabangu said.