Review of Johan Booysens “Blood on Their Hands” book by Jessica Pitchford – Publisher Pan Macmillan

13 December 2016

This is a first-hand account of General Johan Booysen’s early life in the police force and his move through the ranks going from the apartheid regime to a democratic one. It also details his battle against corruption and his fight to keep his job.

He details how the corruption through the force filters its way all the way down to the smallest of ranking officials. He recounts in detail of his battles against fighting crime with taxi violence, SBV heists and others.

He also gives accounts of how as early at that stage there existed corruption amongst police officers. He details the violence against police officers and how many of them lost their lives in the fight against crime.

The turning point in his life as he states would have been the investigation into Thoshan Panday a very highly connected businessman who had most police officers in his pocket. He not only had the top police officers in his pocket (then Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General Mmamonnye Ngobeni) but officers in lower ranks in his pocket as well.

He gave a detailed account of how this businessman ran the show with him owning a few companies one of which was used for the 2010 World Cup called Gold Coast Trading as well as vast amounts of money and cars.

When an investigation into the expenditure under the Supply Chain Management section of the police which came under scrutiny. This is when all hell broke loose. It was at this time that Johan began investigating and was met with hostility by his Provincial Commissioner who told him to back down. Which he did for a while until instructed by the then Hawks Head Anwa Dramat to carry on the investigation. He gives a detailed account of the number of attempts made to block him from conducting this investigation as well as the threat of him being suspended if he did his job.

This according to him seemed to be the norm as Johan had a bigger battle looming. When Johan was General of the Cato Manor Organised Crime Unit it was this title that would get him more attention. This unit investigated organized crimes such as crimes involving racketeering, theft of cash etc. Due to Johan’s knack for investigation and his determination to fight corruption, he was soon investigated by the higher officials and would soon be charged for racketeering and for organizing a death squad.

Johan had to undergo a disciplinary hearing to which he was acquitted for pissing off Provincial Commissioner Ngobeni and then charges for racketeering and leading a death squad and a myriad of charges. He continued to fight the good fight. He stuck to his guns and went through all the ploys that high officials tried to oust him. He had gotten himself into a brawl with Advocate Ngcobo Giba where he had treaded on her toes to which she did not like it. Due to her corrupt activities and efforts to oust him failing he became the new person on her “hit list”.

He makes it clear that these officials would do anything to protect themselves and their friends at any cost. This involved bribing people, getting junior officers to do their “dirty work” and suspending officials who could potentially harm their comfort zone. He also tells the tale of how the constant threat to his job and his office took a toll on his personality and his family life but how despite going through times where he felt despondent he decided to stay and fight and not take the easy way out or a package as was offered to him. He stated that if he did not stay and fight then the corrupt officials would win and he would not get to conduct his job efficiently.

Johan makes it clear in his book that he is not the only one who has fought such battles. Others fought too such as, Anwa Dramat, Shadrack Sibiya, Matthews Sesoko and Robert McBride to name a few. The cabal as he called them comprised of Richard Mdululi, Ngcobo Jiba, Shaun Abrahams, Lawerence Mwerbi, Sello Maema, Raymond Mtathenjwa as well as Berning Ntlemeza and Nathi Nhleko. All who had their own agenda but with one common goal i.e. to protect one another at all cost with a bigger goal of protecting the President.

This book is a good illustration of how high ranking officials have no regard for the Constitution or the rule of law and how they continue to abuse the tax payers by engaging in court cases (using tax payers money) and making up frivolous charges to oust proper hard working officials who have the potential to uncover their secrets. This book also shows that they will go through any lengths to stop their secrets from being uncovered no matter the cost.

This book further illustrates how the media can be swayed to tell any story that they are given. He details how some reporters reported misinformation depending on what they were given by these corrupt officials. He even states how at one point he laid complaints against certain newspapers for false reporting.

If only more people told their story of the challenges they faced with fighting corruption, this would in a way assist with people being more aware of the corruption within their government and other institutions.

Arvitha Doodnath, Lecturer at Vaal University of Technology and Director at Doodnath and Associates.