Cato Manor Unit's controversial past revisited in Nkabinde Enquiry hearings

FORMER head of the Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit, Johan Booysen, is expected to appear before the The Enquiry into the Fitness to Hold Office of Advocate Andrew Chauke (The Enquiry), where he says he will respond to allegations linked to the controversial prosecution of his former unit.

Booysen, who held the rank of major general during the unit’s operations, was mentioned this week at the Enquiry, where National Director of Public Prosecutions Shamila Batohi was questioned about her involvement in the criminal case against him and the unit.   

Speaking in an interview with Newzroom Afrika, Booysen has maintained that his interactions with Batohi were minimal and strictly professional.

"The first time I got to know about advocate Batohi was when she was the evidence leader or cross-examined Hansie Cronje I think in the King Commission of Inquiry," he explained.

Booysen said he met her only twice during his career, when he stepped in for his supervisor at a Justice Forum meeting.

"Those were the only two times in my entire life that I had seen her personally and interacted with her but on a professional level at a meeting. That's it," he said.

His comments come after Batohi abruptly ceased her testimony this week during cross-examination by Advocate Tembeka Ngcukaitobi, representing suspended South Gauteng prosecutions boss Chauke.

Batohi had requested an enquiry into Chauke's fitness to hold office which was then established by President Cyril Ramaphosa.

Ngcukaitobi on Monday introduced evidence that Aris Danikas, a complainant, had written to Batohi in 2019, urging her to reinstate charges against Booysen. This, thereafter resulted in Batohi refusing to answer further questions. 

She had admitted at the enuiry that she did not read the docket relating to Booysen and members of the Cato Mano Unit.

Batohi withdrew the racketeering charges, citing insufficient evidence to support the prosecution, and confirmed the murder charge against Booysen was also dropped for the same reason.

Booysen told the broadcaster that he could not explain Batohi's actions.

The Cato Manor police unit was accused of carrying out unlawful killings in the 2000s.

Booysen, who had command authority over the unit, was charged in connection with its activities, but the charges were withdrawn. Public claims that the Cato Manor police unit operated as a murder squad were also later withdrawn.

The Enquiry is examining two controversial cases: the racketeering prosecution of Booysen and members of the Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit, and the discontinuation of murder charges against former police crime intelligence head Lt General Richard Mdluli.

Asked by Newzroom Afrika if he or members of his unit put pressure on the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) or worked with people in the NPA to make sure the ballistics reports were not admitted, Booysen said "absolutely not in the slightest".

"We've got no authority over the NPA. It would be foolish of us to ask a prosecutor not to use evidence that's at their disposal," he said.

It is alleged that Danikas claimed that Booysen knew about the actions of his unit.

"I have been approached by the evidence leaders at the Nkabinde enquiry and I have compiled a comprehensive statement in which I will deal with those questions. There are questions that he (Danikas) needs to answer with regard to his activities in South Africa before he left. I will reveal that evidence at the enquiry," said Booysen.

SUNDAY TRIBUNE