NAME : Zingisile George Mbathu
AGE : 66 yrs
LOCATION : Alabama township, Klerksdorp, North West
- 1976 = joined South African Police ( SAP ) as a recruit.
- 1977 = underwent training as a police officer at Hammanskraal
- 1978 = passed out from training, and became a police constable, based at Stilfontein
- 1991 = arrested for theft ( a charge he says was a set up ).
- 1991 = suspended as a police man ( for the above incident )
- 1992 = convicted and went to prison ( the manner in which the whole case was handled also dubious )
- Served 18-months in prison.
- 1994 = released on parole
- 1995 April 28 = parole ended.
A former North West police officer, based in Klerksdorp, who was allegedly suspended from his duty in 1991, is still struggling to get his suspension lifted, 28 years later. The man says, he has knocked virtually on all doors, and seemingly, no one is prepared to listen. He says, at the dawn of democracy in 1994, he was optimistic, his problem, would be resolved, but says, his hopes were soon, dashed, when those in authority, also turned their backs against him.
George Mbathu, contends that, since his suspension, in 1991, he was never accorded a departmental inquiry, which is required by law, when a SAPS member is suspended. As far as he is concerned, he is still on suspension, and ought to be reinstated, since he has not been found guilty of any offence by the SAPS.
Mbathu claims that, monies due to him, while on suspension have never been paid. He also says, the Klerksdorp Prison, where he served time, for 18-months, does not have any record of him, having served time there. This reinforces his contention that, his charges were trumped up, in order to remove him from the force, since he knew a lot of things the security police did against political activists, and where afraid he might expose their activities.
Mbathu has already claimed that, many political activists, including the body, of a young political activist, from Ikageng township at Potchefstroom, Boiki Tlhapi, who went missing while in police custody in 1986, have been thrown into one of the disused mine shafts at Stilfontein. Since his suspension, Mbathu has been pursuing his suspension with the police and government at all levels, and he has not been successful.
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