Johannesburg – Former Hawks spokesperson McIntosh Polela learnt he had been fired via media reports on Thursday, EyeWitnessNews reported.

“Neither my lawyer nor myself have received a letter saying I have been dismissed from the SAPS,” Polela was quoted as saying.

His dismissal is believed to be a consequence of a Twitter comment he posted last year relating to the conviction of Molemo “Jub Jub” Maarohanye and his co-accused Themba Tshabalala for murder and attempted murder.

Sapa could not immediately reach Polela for his comment.

On Twitter on Thursday, under the hashtag #FriendsofTosh, one user asked Polela: Dude is this the end or the beginning? Have you got something up your ankle holster?

Polela responded: I’m a tenderpreneur, but did not elaborate.

Response

Earlier, The Star newspaper reported that Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa revealed Polela’s dismissal in a written response to a question from the DA in Parliament this week.

“The officer was dismissed on 27 March 2013, and the internal appeals authority confirmed the same,” Mthethwa reportedly said.

“The officer was paid R323 238.41 during the period he was on suspension,” Mthethwa said, according to the report.

Polela declined to comment to The Star.

He was suspended last year after he tweeted in October: I trust Jub Jub’s supporters gave him a jar of Vaseline to take to prison.

He was commenting after the conviction of Maarohanye and Tshabalala for killing four schoolchildren and injuring two others while drag-racing on a street in Soweto in March 2010.

They were each sentenced to serve an effective 25 years in prison.

SAPA