Pressure is mounting to investigate the fitness to hold office of 'tainted' Major General Patrick Mbotho, who was appointed recently to a senior position in the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation.

• This article was updated at 7pm on Tuesday to reflect a joint statement from Parliament: The Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on Public Service and Administration has acceded to a request from the Portfolio Committee on Police to refer the allegations against Major General Patrick Mbotho from the Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for an urgent and in-depth investigation. Full statement can be read here.

Earlier this month, the chair of Parliament's Portfolio Committee on Police, Ian Cameron, wrote to Police Minister Senzo Mchunu, National Commissioner Fanie Masemola and Directorate for Priority Crime Investigation (DPCI) head, General Godfrey Lebeya, expressing concern about this crucial appointment.

The committee has since written to the Public Service and Administration Committee and a joint statement on the matter was released on Tuesday (1 October) confirming that the appointment was referred to the Public Service Commission (PSC) for an urgent and in-depth investigation.

Mbotho was recently appointed by Lebeya as divisional commissioner: national priority offences with the DPCI - a promotion that should not have been forthcoming considering the major general's integrity was "certainly not...