The Hawks, SA’s elite crime-fighting unit tasked with tackling high-profile cases, is so weak it is struggling to deal with serious commercial crimes, its own boss conceded on Wednesday. The Hawks are currently dealing with high-profile cases such as the Steinhoff saga and the VBS Mutual Bank matter. They are also leading the investigation into state capture. Hawks boss Godfrey Lebeya admitted in parliament on Wednesday that the organisation did not have sufficient capacity to deal with some of the cases. He said the unit has had to look outside for assistance. Lebeya was briefing parliament’s police committee on high-profile cases. He told MPs the organisation did not have enough personnel with financial or forensic investigative skills, forcing the unit to engage auditing firms. He said the Hawks had advertised various such positions as part of the unit’s restructuring. Steinhoff As the Steinhoff matter unfolded, the group itself appointed financial services firm PwC to carry out ...
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