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Cele, Masemola to visit Mthatha police station following resident’s complaints

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Police Minister Bheki Cele and National Police Commissioner, General Fannie Masemola, are scheduled to do an oversight visit to the Mthatha Central police station following public concerns about the service provided by the station.

The police are also being criticized by the public for the manner in which they responded to the murder of Namhla Mtwa.

The high level delegation’s visit comes a day after a large public protest to the police station demanding action by the police.

Mtwa was murdered more than a month ago but no arrests have been made yet.

Memorandum

Protesters in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape have handed over a memorandum to police demanding justice for Mtwa.

She was shot nine times last month in her Mthatha driveway, while returning home from work.

An emotional appeal by Mtwa’s sister for justice caused massive reaction on social media.

In the demonstration, protesters demanded the arrest of a suspect or suspects within three days and that the police station in Mthatha take gender-based violence cases seriously.

The Deputy Provincial Commissioner for Crime Detection, Major General Zithulele Dladla, says they will work with all to ensure justice is done.

Dladla says, ” We have brought in  a provincial team to take over the investigation.  We have communicated with family of Namhla and gave the family feedback on the progress of the investigation. We are investigating and we are confident our detectives will handle the case. We are doing our best in ensuring that we arrest the right person and bring him to book or bring them to book.”

‘Put under pressure’

The Director of the Khula Community Development Project, Petros Majola, says the police should not be put under pressure to make an arrest in connection with the murder of Mtwa.

Majola says this may lead to a wrongful arrest and legal action against the state.

Majola is part of the JUSTICE4HLEHLE march in Mthatha in the Eastern Cape.

He says, “Let us not put too much pressure, let us put pressure… understand me, not too much pressure to an extent that the police can arrest anyone they meet on the road, because what could happen even the person we have in our minds can be arrested today but after two weeks even before trial someone comes back and say we’ve found the correct one and then this one is going to litigate against the state.”

VIDEO: #JusticeforNamhla march being held to demand arrest of alleged killer of Namhla Mtwa:

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