Senior police leaders have spent two days testifying before the Moerane Commission investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal.
However, during that time the police officials had not yet touched on murder cases such as those in the uMzimkhulu area in the southern part of the province.
The commission has now extended its working time to allow police to conclude their evidence. Police remain adamant that their detectives are adequately trained.
Evidence leader for the Moerane Commission investigating political killings in KwaZulu-Natal Advocate Bheki Manyathi has quizzed provincial police leaders about the number of politically-related dockets thrown out of courts.
Manyathi says evidence before the commission is that there have been no arrests in most of these cases.
“The evidence we have had is that most of these paces of political killings, most of them … I’m not going to quantify it in terms of percentage … most of them nobody is arrested. In other words, the case does not go to court and the few that go to court their cases are withdrawn at the level of the district court. Now, one of the court or recommendations is that an integrated team of detectives and prosecutors were put up to collect all of these dockets in the entire province and the entire dockets should be looked at.”
Brigadier Bongani Maqashalala tried to explain some of the challenges they face which resulted in cases being thrown out of courts.
“I want to start with the issue of the withdrawals. Indeed, there are cases that are withdrawn; some at the court for an instance; some withdrawn at the High Court, but it is for various reasons. For example, in about five cases the matters were withdrawn, but that was beyond the control of the police. For example, where you have your witnesses killed, the key witnesses and also where you have witnesses that go missing because of the intimidation and influence by the people outside. I need to indicate that we do work with NPA.”
The commission had to extend its working time for the police to conclude their evidence.
Manyathi had questions for police Advocate Mthokozisi Ngcobo about the cases of some Councillors killed in the uMzimkhulu Municipality.
“The police are the only witnesses that have not been led by us, but from the memorandum – not only the memorandum and the rest of the evidence – there are specific cases that one would expect them to answer to. I’m making examples Councillor Magaqa, Tshibase, many others; so, I don’t know what the plan is but again not to put my learned friend under pressure.”
The commission continues with representatives from the National Prosecuting Authority. By Fanele Mhlongo and Nonkululeko Hlophe
