No word on Colonel’s arrest

NELSPRUIT – It appears as if no one is willing to take responsibility for the fact that a convicted criminal has been on free foot since 2001.

Col Nceba Bobelo, commander of the army’s joint tactical headquarters in Mpumalanga, was supposed to start serving a 12-year prison sentence 12 years ago when his appeal against it failed after he was convicted of armed robbery in the Eastern Cape in 1995.

A warrant for his arrest was issued last week by the NPA and the Nelspruit police was tasked with arresting Bobelo, since he is known to reside here. On Tuesday afternoon, Sgt Gerald Sedibe, spokesman for the provincial police, said that Bobelo had not been arrested in Mpumalanga.

Col Sibongile Soci, spokesman for SAPS in the Eastern Cape, confirmed that to her knowledge, Bobelo had not been arrested. “I have not been informed that he has been arrested, and I would have been if he was,” she said.

Capt Zamo Sithole, operations communications officer for the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) said he could not confirm or deny that an arrest had been made or not. “There are processes taking place,” he said. “I would be in a better position to give confirmation once these processes have been completed.”

He would also not comment on questions about how it was that an active duty soldier was not being sought by the military police, despite being effectively absent without leave (AWOL) since Bobelo has not been placed on forced or special leave, is not on leave, is not on his post, and his whereabouts are not known to his employers.

“We will be able to provide some clarity on all these questions once the processes have been completed,” Sithole said.

By yesterday afternoon, almost a week after official queries had been sent to both Brig Gen Xolani Mabanga, spokesman for SANDF, nor Mr Steve Mahlangu, spokesman for the department of justice, had commented on the matter.