Hawks boss in hot water

Damage to property, looting case opened

AHIGH-ranking member of the Eastern Cape Hawks and a police union provincial boss has been accused of looting and damaging property belonging to a Mthatha church.

Colonel Loyiso Mdingi, the Police and Prisons Civil Rights Union (Popcru) provincial chairman, is accused of trespassing, looting and damaging Ross Mission church property earlier this month.

The Uniting Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (UPCSA), a faction of the Presbyterian church, has singled out Mdingi for the alleged crimes on November 6, 12 and 13.

Police have confirmed that two cases of malicious damage to property and contempt of court were opened at the Central Police Station in Mthatha.

UPCSA accused Mdingi of leading a group of Reformed Presbyterian Church in Southern Africa (RPCSA) members to carry out the crimes and has lodged a complaint against the Popcru leader with acting national police commissioner General Khomotso Phahlane.

UPCSA Reverend Phindile Nqakwana further accused Mdingi of threatening them with “bloodshed”.

The two church groups have been at loggerheads for almost a decade over the Ross Mission property, with police at times being called in to prevent violent clashes.

The court ruled in 2007 that UPCSA was the rightful owner of the property.

In his letter to Phahlane, dated November 17, UPCSA general secretary Lungile Mpetsheni alleged that Mdingi had led a group of worshippers that broke into the Ross Mission church hall on November 6.

“In that act, he caused damage to property, trespassed and looted as they took some of the catering material. They did this, notwithstanding the attempts by the security guard personnel who looks after the property to prevent them from getting therein,” he wrote.

He claimed that six days later, Mdingi allegedly changed the church’s padlocks and blocked entry to the premises with vehicles.

Mpetsheni claimed that Mdingi had abused his power in the Hawks to undermine the security guard, the UPCSA and the Mthatha High Court, which declared that the Ross Mission property belonged to his church.

However, Mdingi denied any wrongdoing. He questioned why he had been singled out, saying other police officers and teachers had been present when tensions ran high on both sides but no complaints had been lodged with their superiors.

“I take offence for them to write to my department because I didn’t go there as a police officer but as a church member.”

“I am offended by Mpetsheni, whom I’ve never even met, writing to the department,” he said.

Mthatha police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel Mzukisi Fatyela confirmed that police were investigating a case of malicious damage to property and a case of contempt of court.

National police spokeswoman Brigadier Sally de Beer confirmed receiving questions from the Daily Dispatch regarding the letter to Phahlane.

However, she said Hawks national spokesman Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi would respond. At the time of writing, Mulaudzi had not responded. —