Political meddling ‘behind district secretary’s arrest’

THE SACP in KwaZulu-Natal says it is deeply disturbed by alleged political interference in the arrest of its Umzimkhulu district secretary.

“The party is disturbed by reports, which it hopes are untrue, that there was a direct instruction from the ANC and police ministry directing police not to release the SACP leader,” SACP provincial secretary Themba Mthembu said.

The man, who is also a senior ANC official, was arrested at Umzimkhulu on Saturday for possession of an unlicensed firearm.

Mthembu said the official had insisted he simply wasn’t carrying his gun licence.

“We do not condone that he was not carrying his licence, but we are deeply disturbed that even after attempting to produce it he is still being held in a desperate attempt to implicate the party in the killings in the area,” Mthembu said.

“The fact that a directive came from the police ministry not to release him despite him supplying licence details is baffling and smacks of an act of victimisation.”

Mthembu alleged that police were arresting suspects to deflect attention from real criminals – a “spectacular failure of policing characterised by blunders acting on instructions of the pompous police minister (Fikile Mbalula)”.

Twenty-four councillors have been killed in KwaZulu-Natal since 2009.

The SACP said despite more than 60 people having been arrested in connection with the murders, none has been successfully prosecuted.

National police ministry spokesperson Vuyo Mhaga denied the “absurd” allegations, saying at no point did the minister make such a call. “Minister Mbalula does not make arrests or instruct police who to arrest or not to arrest.”

Acting provincial commissioner Major-General Bheki Langa said the suspect and his wife had not been able to produce a valid permit for the firearm and ammunition.

“Given the number of high profile deaths in that area one should expect that police will act firmly if people are carrying firearms and ammunition without valid permits.”

The ANC in KwaZulu-Natal denied the allegations.