EFF and DA leaders spends a night in cells
According to Sedibe, the night he spent in the cells was an eye-opener in terms of how filthy and unfavourable the conditions in the jail was.
MBOMBELA – The provincial leader of the EFF, Mr Collen Sedibe and 11 others endured a night in Komatipoort’s police holding cells, last Thursday. They were involved in a protest at Umbhaba Estates.
A candidate from the DA, Ms Sanky Mndawe, four men and seven other women from Tonga in the Nkomazi Municipality, were also arrested after allegedly beating a mentally disturbed man to death on Saturday morning.
According to Lt Mzwandile Nyambi, spokesperson for Tonga police, the victim allegedly had bruises all over his body and died from internal injuries.
The DA’s provincial leader, Mr James Masango confirmed that the accused, Mndawe is a party candidate. He added that a person was innocent until proven guilty by a court of law.
“It’s difficult to say if any action is going to be taken against her, unfortunately the police refused us permission to see her in the cells on Friday,” he said.
She four men were released on R1 000 bail each. The seven women were released on free bail by the Tonga Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“The first accused was denied bail and will appear with the rest of them on September 2,” Masango said.
According to Sedibe, the night he spent in the cells was an eye-opener in terms of how filthy and unfavourable the conditions in the jail was.
“When one is kept in the holding cells, he or she shouldn’t be treated as a criminal.”
To make this experience worse, four of the others were injured and no medical treatment was received. He alleged that they were shot at, at close range, with rubber bullets by police.
One was hit in the chest, another in the elbow, a third in the back and the fourth in the arm.
“They spent the night in pain and only filled in the police form J88 the following morning. This action was uncalled for and we will open a case against the the Komatipoort station commander and the minister of police. After the elections we will go back in full force to Umbhaba Estates,” he added.
Const Natacia Mbuyane from the Komatipoort police said Sedibe and his co-accused were arrested for taking part in an illegal protest action.
“The members applied for permission for the protest, but it was not granted. They went ahead and we had to step in after several threats were made against the people of Umbhaba,” Mbuyane said.
The 12 appeared in the Tonga Magistrate’s Court and were released on free bail. They will appear again on September 2.
