Ziwaphi Relentless quest for the truth
A Tanzanian man accused of belonging to a gang that murdered a Mpumalanga government director was sent for medical examination on Monday after allegedly being beaten by police.
The visibly-bruised 29-year-old could barely walk as he entered in the Nelspruit magistrate’s court on Monday to face a charge of murder.
He is accused of shooting and killing Mpumalanga culture, sport and recreation director Sammy Mpatlanyane, who was gunned down on January 10, 2010 at his home in Mbombela.
At the time, Mpatlanyane’s murder was linked to alleged cover-ups of tender fraud in Mpumalanga’s 2010 stadium.
Police have not suggested any motive linking the suspect to a wider conspiracy.
His defence lawyer Sifiso Mabilane asked the court to allow his client to be checked into hospital as he had been badly assaulted.
”I ask that my client not be sent to police cells because he is not safe [there]. I also ask that he be sent to hospital because he has been assaulted by the police. Look at him. His arm is also badly hurt,” said Mabilane.
The court remanded the accused in custody, but recommended that he first be sent to a doctor.
He was not asked to plead to a charge of murder and his case was postponed for the court to avail a Swahili interpreter as he (the accused) could not speak English.
Provincial police spokesman Lieutenant colonel Leonard Hlathi told Ziwaphi after the brief hearing that the accused was arrested on Thursday following the arrest of a 28-year-old Mozambican man who was arrested the day before in connection with the same murder.
Hlathi refused to give the accused’s names but only said that the Mozambican appeared in court on Friday.
“We have a strong case against the two suspects and we believe other cases will be added to them as the investigation proceeds,” he said.
At the time, his murder was linked to alleged cover-ups of tender fraud in Mpumalanga’s 2010 stadium.
Police have not suggested any motive linking the suspects to a wider conspiracy.
Hlathi said the Mozambican had been linked to three house robberies and one house breaking. The two suspects are expected to appear in the Nelspruit magistrate’s court on Thursday where they will be provided with a Swahili and a Portuguese interpreter each.
Outside the court, Mabilane refuted the police’s version of the arrest and accused police of beating his client so badly that he could not appear in court on Friday.
“My client was arrested on Wednesday and due to the injuries he had sustained, the police feared to bring him to court.” said Mabilane. “There’s no case here, which is why the police assaulted my client. When police don’t get what they want, they assault [you] into confessing.”
When contacted to comment further Hlathi refuted the claims and challenged Mabilane to lodge a complaint with the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD).
“If anybody feels they were mistreated or assaulted by the police, they must lay a charge against the police through ICD,” said Hlathi.
Hlathi confirmed that a police-issue firearm was used to kill Mpatlanyane.
Meanwhile, Mpumalanga’s MEC for Culture Sports and Recreation, Sibongile Manana welcomed the arrest of the suspect in the murder of Mpatlanyane.
“I want to commend the South African Police for the sterling job in bringing the perpetrators to book. We have been anxiously waiting for a breakthrough in the case and I am confident that justice will be served,” said Manana through her spokesperson, Sibongile Nkosi on Tuesday.
