A Pretoria High Court judge has expressed shock and disdain at evidence that four members of the public, arrested for no reason, had to pay R1 500 each to the police in eMalahleni (formerly Witbank) to protect them while they were kept in the holding cells of the police station. Barend Olivier, Frederick Haycock and Harry and Kyriakos Haralambous said the police, before locking them up, told them they each had to pay up to not be assaulted in the cells.
While they were being taken to the cells, one said he saw a detainee being assaulted and thrown into a toilet pit. Their parents paid the money to the police and the four were removed to another cell.
Judge Joseph Raulinga said this evidence raised alarm on the observance of human rights in the country. It also raised suspicion that this practice was not confined to eMalahleni. “This might be a practice countrywide. Unless this evil deed is investigated and stopped immediately, the whole justice system may at the end be corrupted to the core.”
While one was aware of the efforts made by many police members who on a daily basis tried to dedicate their lives to a better service to the people, one could not close an eye to this humiliating practice by a few police officers, he said. “The question is whether the defendants (who include the Minister of Police) knew about this practice. “If they did, then their unlawful detention of the plaintiffs must be treated with the contempt it deserves.”
The judge said he was certain that the matter deserved the attention of the Commissioner of Police in Mpumalanga and the National Police Commissioner. The judge’s remarks were sparked by a damages claim against the police by the four young men. They claimed the police shot at them and arrested them for no reason. They were locked up in a police cell for nearly two days, but nothing came of the charges against them.
The police denied wrongdoing and said they thought the four were buying drugs from a notorious Nigerian drug dealer in the area. The police said they had set a trap for the dealer that night and saw the men speaking to the “dealer” before heading with him into tall grass, where he stashed his drugs. But the four had no idea what the police were talking about. They said they were on their way home from a club and wanted to take a shortcut home. They got lost in a nearby township and stopped to ask a man who was walking along the road, for directions. Two of them got out of the vehicle to urinate. When they got back into the car, they heard a noise and only later realised their tyres had been shot. They stopped at a garage as they thought they were being hijacked. They wanted to phone the police when a police contingent on quad bikes stopped at the garage with tyres screeching .
The four claimed they were accused of attempted murder, among other things, assaulted and taken to the police station in the early hours of Saturday morning, May 17, 2008. They were only allowed to go home on the Monday morning, without charges brought against them.
The police said they had information about a drug dealer in Tasbet Park in eMalahleni, who hid his stash in the veld. They conducted a police operation that day and hid their quad bikes in the veld. They saw the four young men speaking “in a jovial manner” to the “drug dealer”. The police claimed the four even walked with the dealer into the veld. One said he could hear the rustle of plastic bags as the “dealer” fiddled in the bags to get the drugs.
The four had discovered the police quad bikes, hidden under netting in the veld, and they feared the men were going to steal the bikes, police said. They fired at the suspects, but the men raced away in their car. They gave chase and caught them at the garage.
The judge said there were many suspicious aspects in this case, including why the cops, if they were so anxious to catch the drug dealer, did not apprehend him if they were close enough to hear the rustle of the plastic bags.
He awarded damages to the four men ranging from between R65 000 and R39 000. The judge also accepted the evidence of the petrol attendant, who said he saw the police assaulting the men. He said the cops told him the men were drug dealers.
Source: IoL
Showing posts with label Emalahleni. Show all posts
Showing posts with label Emalahleni. Show all posts
Monday, March 7, 2011
Saturday, September 11, 2010
ANC Fires 'Renegade' Mpumalanga Mayor
The mayor of Mpumalanga's economic powerhouse, Emalahleni (Witbank), has been sacked for breaking party ranks and taking legal action against the ANC. Linah Malatjie is the first mayor to become a casualty of the party's resolution that members who challenge it in court be dismissed.
Last month, African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Gwede Mantashe released a statement declaring that it was a dismissible offence in the ANC to take the party to court "when all the organisational processes have not been exhausted". The dismissal letter sent to Malatjie was personally drafted by Mantashe on August 30.
On Thursday, the ANC in Mpumalanga sent her the letter following her decision to challenge the ANC in court for an internal disciplinary hearing relating to a charge dating back to 2008. “We called her to a disciplinary hearing in 2008 for a number of charges, which included voting with the opposition (Democratic Alliance) in a motion that was raised by the ANC. As our deployee, she had a duty to vote in favour of motions raised by the ANC. Instead, on attending the disciplinary hearing, she challenged the ANC through a court interdict, where she also mentioned that the ANC was divided and had factions in the province,” said Paul Mbenyane, spokesman for the ANC in Mpumalanga. He said it had taken significant time to dismiss Malatjie because the ANC had ensured that all the necessary processes had to be completed. “There are so many processes to be followed before you dismiss a person. We did not want to be dragged through the labour courts for unfair dismissal. We had to follow procedures, which takes time,” he explained.
Mbenyane said Malatjie's ANC membership had also been revoked and that the provincial executive committee would convene an urgent meeting to find a replacement for her.
Emalahleni municipal spokesman Lebo Mofokeng said Malatjie received the dismissal letter on Thursday. “We are obviously shocked, as the municipality, to receive such news," he said. "We are not in a position to comment at the present moment. I can only say that we will wait for the ANC to give us a replacement mayor.” Malatjie was not immediately available for comment on Friday, as her cellphone was off.
DA councillor Koos Venter said Malatjie's sacking was a result of infighting. “Malatjie’s sacking has nothing to do with voting with the opposition or service delivery, but more to do with the fact that she finds herself outside the dominant faction within the ANC. Residents of Emalahleni must realise that the real contest is not a choice between rival factions within the ANC, but rather between a party at war with itself,” he said. He also blamed Malatjie for bringing the municipality to the brink of collapse. “Under her leadership, the community of Emalahleni is faced with ... critical problems on a continual basis," he said.
This, he said, included repeated power outages and chronic water shortages lasting up to five days at a time. The ANC appears to be clamping down on public litigation between its members following the acrimonious showdown between the former Limpopo chairperson of the ANC Youth League, Lehlogonolo Masoga, and the league's current leadership.
Masoga was hauled before the ANCYL's national disciplinary committee for violating its code of conduct after he complained that votes were rigged by league president Julius Malema in favour of Frans Moswane during its Limpopo conference in Louis Trichardt in April. Police had to intervene when violence broke out at the conference. Masoga was charged with insubordination and called to the disciplinary hearing. Instead, he took the matter to the courts, challenging the legitimacy of the hearing. Masoga withdrew the case on July 14 when the ANC intervened and, on July 19, he was expelled from the ANCYL.
Source: Capital
Last month, African National Congress (ANC) secretary-general Gwede Mantashe released a statement declaring that it was a dismissible offence in the ANC to take the party to court "when all the organisational processes have not been exhausted". The dismissal letter sent to Malatjie was personally drafted by Mantashe on August 30.
On Thursday, the ANC in Mpumalanga sent her the letter following her decision to challenge the ANC in court for an internal disciplinary hearing relating to a charge dating back to 2008. “We called her to a disciplinary hearing in 2008 for a number of charges, which included voting with the opposition (Democratic Alliance) in a motion that was raised by the ANC. As our deployee, she had a duty to vote in favour of motions raised by the ANC. Instead, on attending the disciplinary hearing, she challenged the ANC through a court interdict, where she also mentioned that the ANC was divided and had factions in the province,” said Paul Mbenyane, spokesman for the ANC in Mpumalanga. He said it had taken significant time to dismiss Malatjie because the ANC had ensured that all the necessary processes had to be completed. “There are so many processes to be followed before you dismiss a person. We did not want to be dragged through the labour courts for unfair dismissal. We had to follow procedures, which takes time,” he explained.
Mbenyane said Malatjie's ANC membership had also been revoked and that the provincial executive committee would convene an urgent meeting to find a replacement for her.
Emalahleni municipal spokesman Lebo Mofokeng said Malatjie received the dismissal letter on Thursday. “We are obviously shocked, as the municipality, to receive such news," he said. "We are not in a position to comment at the present moment. I can only say that we will wait for the ANC to give us a replacement mayor.” Malatjie was not immediately available for comment on Friday, as her cellphone was off.
DA councillor Koos Venter said Malatjie's sacking was a result of infighting. “Malatjie’s sacking has nothing to do with voting with the opposition or service delivery, but more to do with the fact that she finds herself outside the dominant faction within the ANC. Residents of Emalahleni must realise that the real contest is not a choice between rival factions within the ANC, but rather between a party at war with itself,” he said. He also blamed Malatjie for bringing the municipality to the brink of collapse. “Under her leadership, the community of Emalahleni is faced with ... critical problems on a continual basis," he said.
This, he said, included repeated power outages and chronic water shortages lasting up to five days at a time. The ANC appears to be clamping down on public litigation between its members following the acrimonious showdown between the former Limpopo chairperson of the ANC Youth League, Lehlogonolo Masoga, and the league's current leadership.
Masoga was hauled before the ANCYL's national disciplinary committee for violating its code of conduct after he complained that votes were rigged by league president Julius Malema in favour of Frans Moswane during its Limpopo conference in Louis Trichardt in April. Police had to intervene when violence broke out at the conference. Masoga was charged with insubordination and called to the disciplinary hearing. Instead, he took the matter to the courts, challenging the legitimacy of the hearing. Masoga withdrew the case on July 14 when the ANC intervened and, on July 19, he was expelled from the ANCYL.
Source: Capital
Friday, July 23, 2010
Helicopter crash kills seven police
A police helicopter crashed near Witbank on Friday, killing seven officers on board, as it flew to the scene of a suspected hostage-taking north-east of Johannesburg, officials said.
Police spokesperson Sally de Beer said the officers from the National Intervention Unit were leaving Pretoria in the chopper to help local police in the town of Witbank when the accident happened. "There was a business break-in at about 5am. Witbank police responded but they were shot at by the suspects who also said they had a hostage with them," she said. De Beer said two helicopters with a total of 12 people were sent to the scene, but one of them crashed. "There was a thick mist in the area at the time of the crash, but we don't want to say that is the reason it crashed until we finish our investigation."
Seven people were arrested over the break-in, but police discovered that no hostage had actually been taken, she said.
A spokesperson for ER24 private emergency services, Werner Vermaak, said paramedics who arrived at the scene found the helicopter burnt beyond recognition. "The local fire department and rescue services extinguished the flames. All of the occupants were already dead and there was nothing that paramedics could do," said Vermaak. National police chief Bheki Cele told radio 702 that he was in shock. "It is a really black Friday for us," Cele said. "It's a very devastating and painful situation. I personally know them all too."
Source: Mail & Guardian
Police spokesperson Sally de Beer said the officers from the National Intervention Unit were leaving Pretoria in the chopper to help local police in the town of Witbank when the accident happened. "There was a business break-in at about 5am. Witbank police responded but they were shot at by the suspects who also said they had a hostage with them," she said. De Beer said two helicopters with a total of 12 people were sent to the scene, but one of them crashed. "There was a thick mist in the area at the time of the crash, but we don't want to say that is the reason it crashed until we finish our investigation."
Seven people were arrested over the break-in, but police discovered that no hostage had actually been taken, she said.
A spokesperson for ER24 private emergency services, Werner Vermaak, said paramedics who arrived at the scene found the helicopter burnt beyond recognition. "The local fire department and rescue services extinguished the flames. All of the occupants were already dead and there was nothing that paramedics could do," said Vermaak. National police chief Bheki Cele told radio 702 that he was in shock. "It is a really black Friday for us," Cele said. "It's a very devastating and painful situation. I personally know them all too."
Source: Mail & Guardian
Wednesday, July 29, 2009
Mpumalanga municipality to be probed
The Mpumalanga government will probe allegations of maladministration, fraud, corruption and poor service delivery in the Emalahleni municipality, it said on Thursday. It would include investigating water quality and the reasons for a lack of basic services in informal settlements and potholes, the office of co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Norman Mokoena said in a statement.
The claims were made by local residents and also contained in a handover report he received when he took office. "Upon receiving such allegations the MEC wrote to the municipality requesting them to respond to the allegations made against them. The MEC was not satisfied with the response and he has taken a decision to launch a full scale investigation."There had been violent service delivery protests in municipalities around the province in recent weeks, including Emalahleni.
Source: IoL
The claims were made by local residents and also contained in a handover report he received when he took office. "Upon receiving such allegations the MEC wrote to the municipality requesting them to respond to the allegations made against them. The MEC was not satisfied with the response and he has taken a decision to launch a full scale investigation."There had been violent service delivery protests in municipalities around the province in recent weeks, including Emalahleni.
Source: IoL
Mpumalanga municipality to be probed
The Mpumalanga government will probe allegations of maladministration, fraud, corruption and poor service delivery in the Emalahleni municipality, it said on Thursday. It would include investigating water quality and the reasons for a lack of basic services in informal settlements and potholes, the office of co-operative governance and traditional affairs MEC Norman Mokoena said in a statement.
The claims were made by local residents and also contained in a handover report he received when he took office. "Upon receiving such allegations the MEC wrote to the municipality requesting them to respond to the allegations made against them. The MEC was not satisfied with the response and he has taken a decision to launch a full scale investigation."There had been violent service delivery protests in municipalities around the province in recent weeks, including Emalahleni.
Source: IoL
The claims were made by local residents and also contained in a handover report he received when he took office. "Upon receiving such allegations the MEC wrote to the municipality requesting them to respond to the allegations made against them. The MEC was not satisfied with the response and he has taken a decision to launch a full scale investigation."There had been violent service delivery protests in municipalities around the province in recent weeks, including Emalahleni.
Source: IoL
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