Home raided by the police

On Monday, October 28, police officers raided Thembeni Mtshali’s house in Bhekuzulu, Old Location with the intention of uncovering an illegal firearm.

These officers are said to have cut a hole through the fence to gain access to this house. The police then demanded to entry the house as they were looking for an illegal firearm that was hidden in the house.

According to these residents, the police produced no search warrant and merely told them that they were just doing their job.
When the family enquired about the search warrant they were told that no search warrant was necessary if the police suspected them of possession of an illegal firearm.
After searching frantically through the house and finding no gun, these police officers then went on to assault one of the residents at the Mtshali household, Siyabonga Mthethwa .
“Siyabonga was hit numerous times and told to tell the truth,” said Philani Mtshali, a family member who was present at the time.
The family went to the police station early on Tuesday morning to report this matter and were told that the case would be investigated, although they were able to name and identify two of the police officers who had raided their home the night before.
According to Major Mbatha of the Vryheid SAPS, the police are in actual fact doing these surprise raids local households that are suspected of any illegal activities. Major Mbatha said that the police had received numerous complaints that Siyabonga Mthethwa possessed an illegal firearm that he used to intimidate community members. When the house was raided, a toy gun was found and it is suspected that this is the very same gun Siyabonga used to threaten community members with.
The police denied allegations of them having assaulted Mr Mthethwa and went on to say that the only injuries he had sustained, were around his wrists as he had tried to resist when they tried to handcuff him.
Major Mbatha also said that the police did have a right to search a household without a search warrant if the application for one takes a long time and the community’s safety is at stake.