Freed men shocked at still being ‘suspects’

‘Mbalula got it wrong, but our names are being dragged in the mud’

SOME of the men allegedly wrongfully arrested in connection with the Marikana killing in Cape Town are shocked at still being regarded as suspects by Police Minister Fikile Mbalula.

Mbalula and police top brass were left red-faced after he tweeted pictures of a “midnight criminal” shake-up‚ only for it to be revealed later that the 10 “suspects” were released without being charged.

They were on their way to a funeral in the Eastern Cape.

Mbalula said in response to the furore on Friday that a man being transported to the funeral in a coffin was a suspect. He said those released were still “on our radar”.

Zukile Sikade‚ a family member who was arrested and released‚ said he was not aware of any criminal activity by the man who had died.

“How are we suspects? We are family to him. Some were cousins and others grew up with him.

“We didn’t know if he was involved in crime. I was shocked when they claimed he was a suspect because I knew him as a taxi driver‚” Sikade said.

He said he did not think Mbalula had any evidence linking them to criminal activities.

“Secondly‚ if we were criminals who shot people‚ we would not be travelling in a group like that‚” he said.

Sikade‚ who is also a taxi driver‚ said most of the people with whom they were travelling to Lady Frere were family members and close friends who grew up with the deceased.

“He [Mbalula] has made a mistake but he is refusing to admit to it‚” he said.

Sikade said it was important for the group to take legal action against Mbalula to clear their names.

Thabile Yame‚ who was also arrested‚ said he was afraid that whenever there was a killing in Marikana the police would come after him.

“They are dragging our names in the mud and people are going to end up believing them‚” he said.

Sikade said it was odd that the police only identified the deceased as a suspect after his death.

“Police have never even come here asking about him. I am now shocked that people are saying he is a suspect when we are on the way to bury him‚” he said.

Meanwhile, Western Cape police have denied the 10 suspects were made to lie on the ground for hours while waiting for Mbalula to arrive.

Police also denied allegations that the suspects‚ who were arrested outside the Huguenot tunnel and Laingsburg‚ were tortured or assaulted while being questioned.

They also said that at no stage was Mbalula involved in the interviewing process.

Saying police wished to set the record straight‚ spokeswoman Brigadier Novela Potelwa said the operations in question were intelligence-led‚ multidisciplinary SAPS vehicle checkpoints.

“As it would be the case in similar operations‚ the suspects were subdued in an effort to search and minimise risk,” she said.

“They were subsequently transported to Cape Town Central police station, where they were interviewed by detectives.

“At no stage was the minister of police involved in the interviewing process as that is an operational exercise reserved for SAPS members.

“It is also devoid of truth that the suspects were made to lie on the ground for hours while waiting for the minister of police to arrive.

“The minister‚ who had been in Cape Town during the week‚ visited operations including the one outside the Huguenot tunnel on Friday evening October 6.” – TimesLIVE