Home » Unprecedented Break-In of Hawks’ Head Office – Computers Stolen

Unprecedented Break-In of Hawks’ Head Office – Computers Stolen

The South African Police Services’ special investigative unit, the Hawks, was broken into in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Several computers have reportedly been stolen from the Human Resources, Finance and Supply Chain departments at the Hawks’ Head Office in Pretoria, South Africa. This is unprecedented in the history of the Hawks, an independent crime-fighting […]

By SAPeople
06-07-17 11:14
in Eish!

The South African Police Services’ special investigative unit, the Hawks, was broken into in the early hours of Wednesday morning. Several computers have reportedly been stolen from the Human Resources, Finance and Supply Chain departments at the Hawks’ Head Office in Pretoria, South Africa.

This is unprecedented in the history of the Hawks, an independent crime-fighting unit.

DA Shadow Minister of Police, Zakhele Mbhele, said today’s break-in represents “an incredibly serious setback and security breach in the Hawks Head Office” and that it’s probably not a coincidence that this took place in the run-up to the high-stakes ANC elective conference.

Zakhele said it’s likely this break-in was a “politically motivated act as part of ANC factional fighting” and pointed out that “in 2016, files were stolen from the Helen Suzman Foundation; four months ago there was a break-in at the Office of the Chief Justice where 15 computers storing confidential information on South Africa’s 250 judges were stolen and just last week suspicious fires broke out in both the Gauteng and Eastern Cape Premiers’ offices.”

The two suspects in the Justice department break-in were due to appear in court today.

Various theories are being discussed on social media, including that it was:

  • politically motivated, as mentioned above;
  • an incredible exposé of weak security OR an inside job;
  • a distraction from something bigger happening behind the scenes;
  • an excuse for the Hawks to not investigate priority crimes outlined in the Gupta Leaks;
  • ‘interesting’ that it happened at the same time that Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini has been appointed Acting Police Minister, while Police Minister Fikile Mbalula is in Singapore (at an international police congress on cybercrime).

According to eNCA’s legal journalist Karen Maughan, Hawks said “these things (burglaries) happen to everyone. No reason to think SA not safe. We are not a cowboy state.”

Further details will be made available once SAPS has done a full assessment of the premises.

UPDATE Wednesday evening: “The Hawks would like to confirm that so far only computers at Finance, Supply Chain Management and Human Resource Management offices were stolen,” Hawks spokesperson Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said.

An intensive investigation is underway. Mulaudzi said investigators are currently assessing the scene and fingerprint tests are being conducted.

“The Acting National Head of the Hawks Lieutenant General Yolisa Matakata has condemned the unfortunate incident and assured that a crack team will foresee the investigation in this regard,” said Mulaudzi.