Ramaphosa letter to Lenasia CPF leadership on kidnapping and police brutality is fake

A letter, purported to be from the Presidency, surrounding President Cyril Ramaphosa receiving several messages of concern from angry South Africans about kidnapping and police brutality is fake.

The letter was widely circulated on social media groups enticing media organisations to report on a media briefing by Ramaphosa.

According to the Presidency’s website, social media accounts – including Ramaphosa’s – and the Presidency’s official Twitter handles, no such letter was issued at any time.

The letter which is riddled with spelling errors, including Police Minister Bheki Cele’s name being spelt as Beki Cele, claims Ramaphosa received messages about police brutality and the arrest of innocent people being accused of kidnapping.

It further claims that the meeting took place at Genadendal, the official residence of the president in Cape Town, and included Cele who arrived from Johannesburg and pledged that recent arrests were illegal.

According to the letter, Ramaphosa confirmed he was looking into the assault on the individuals who were detained.

“President Ramaphosa welcomed the suggestions and commitment from Ebrahim Asvat the Lenasia CPF chairman, and his commitment to working with government to fashion a regulatory regime that would facilitate safety in South Africa for its people and intimidation from corrupt police,” the letter said.

Asvat is the current chairman of the Lenasia Community Policing Forum (CPF).

There have been calls for Asvat to step down for his alleged links to kidnapping mastermind Faizal Charloos and after his son Ziyaad was arrested for his alleged involvement in a kidnapping and extortion case.

Ziyaad has since appeared in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court where the case was postponed to 19 May.

ALSO READ: Residents call for Lenasia CPF Chairman Ebrahim Asvat to stepdown after son arrested for kidnapping and extortion

The letter also said Ramaphosa is expected to meet the “innocent individuals” who will appear in Alexandra Magistrate’s Court on 19 May 2022 and that members of the media are invited to attend and cover the media briefing.

This is not the first time that a fake letter has been circulated regarding the kidnapping and extortion arrests.

Last month, the South African Police Services (Saps) confirmed to The Citizen that a media statement from a senior ranking officer providing details on Charloos was a complete fake.

The fake media statement was also widely circulated on social media.

ALSO READ: Police confirm kidnapping kingpin Charloos statement is fake