The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is investigating the claims at the same time that the Civilian Police Secretariat, which is also probing the matter, said it had received more information about the allegations.
Several senior officials in the Hawks criminal unit and the South African police were last year accused of conducting the renditions, in partnership with Zimbabwean police. This has reportedly led to a number of Zimbabwean 'suspects' being arrested in South Africa and then sent across the border illegally, and killed.
These allegations were made by South Africa's Sunday Times newspaper, which reported that South Africa's Police Minister, Nathi Mthethwa, is sitting on explosive reports listing at least three deaths of Zimbabwean nationals. The deaths were allegedly as a result of a 'renditions' operation led by police and Hawks officers.
A Hawks source has recently been quoted by South African media as saying that the practice is still ongoing with at least eight of the unit's members being accused.
"They are above the law. Completely untouchable. For their work several have been promoted to senior ranks. They have links right to the top, including politicians and senior officers," the source was quoted as telling the Times newspaper.
"Several, who are from the Hawks Tactical Operational Management Services, are known to be linked to the murders of at least six Zimbabweans abducted from across Gauteng, and others have been linked to the murders of South Africans, including fellow police officers," the source said.
The renditions are alleged to have been carried out under the pretext that the Zimbabwean authorities were looking for criminals involved in armed robberies and the shooting of police officers.
Read more: Zimbabwe: SA Launches Renditions Probe
SA urges 'caution' in redefining blood diamonds
http://www.swradioafrica.com
By Alex Bell
05 June 2012
A South African Minister taking part in the meeting of the international
diamond trade watchdog, the Kimberley Process (KP), has reportedly called
for caution in redefining the term ‘blood diamond’.
The redefinition of this core issue of the KP has taken centre stage in the
first of the monitoring body’s meetings this year, which is currently
underway in Washington. The group has faced increasing pressure to reform
over accusations that it has allowed serious human rights abuses at Zimbabwe’s
diamond fields to be brushed under the carpet.
The KP was formed in 2003 to curb the trade in ‘blood diamonds’, which it
detailed as stones that funded civil war or the brutality of rebel groups,
like was seen in Sierra Leone.
But civil society and human rights groups have since said that this
definition is too ‘narrow’ and should be broadened to encompass any human
rights abuses associated with diamond mining, as has been seen in Zimbabwe.
The calls for redefinition and a reform of the KP scheme are already
reported to have caused friction among some of the group’s members. South
Africa’s Mineral Resources Minister Susan Shabangu has been quoted as urging
for ‘caution’ in the redefinition process. Shabangu said that if the matter
was not handled carefully, the KP could face divisions and it could have
dire implications for the “millions of people who rely on diamond revenue”.
Daniel Bekele, the Africa Director at Human Rights Watch, told SW Radio
Africa on Tuesday that certain KP members have repeatedly been resistant to
broadening the KP’s mandate to include human rights. He said this resistance
is “not proper and not consistent with the KP and the reasons why it was
started.”
“The purpose of the body is to ensure that conflict diamonds and other
stones tainted by human rights abuses don’t reach consumers. Unfortunately
what we have increasingly seen is exactly this,” Bekele said.
Read more: SA urges 'caution' in redefining blood diamonds
