Durban — A Pietermaritzburg man who claims he was wrongfully accused of murder and spent five months behind bars, wants justice.
Zwakushiwo Mkhize, 48, claimed that Thornville police arrested him in December for a murder that occurred as a result of mob justice.
According to Mkhize, his problems began after the community beat to death a man, accused of theft, in November last year. He said police accused him of being the ring leader of the mob.
Mkhize said he was then arrested in his home and claimed that Thornville police officers physically assaulted him. He was arrested on December 5 last year and was released on May 8, 2023, after he was found not guilty. He spent his time awaiting trial at Pietermaritzburg New Prison.
“I was the one trying to stop the mob from beating the victim, asking them to call the police and not to take the law into their hands. What also puzzles me is that out of more than 16 people there, only two were arrested,” said Mkhize.
Mkhize also revealed that after coming out of prison he had to flee his home to seek safety after the community turned against him and called him a spy.
“They accused me of identifying those who were there when the incident happened. They were threatening to kill me. Since then I have been living on the streets,’’ said Mkhize.
He said he then opened a case against the Thornville police for assaulting him.
He said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) could not assist him. Mkhize said he wants the police who assaulted him to face the full might of the law. He claimed that the incident left him traumatised.
“After opening a case against the police, two men, who were from another African country, came into my house and assaulted me. I also opened a criminal case against them but the case detective came with the police, blackmailed me, and forced me to withdraw the case. I then took out a protection order against them,’’ he said.
Mkhize also suspects that the assault was part of the set-up to force him to withdraw the assault case against the police.
The Ipid spokesperson Robbie Raburabu said there was no indication in the statement of the victim that the police were involved in the assault.
“The case was regarded as outside the Ipid mandate. As far as things stand at the moment, the information has not changed,’’ said Raburabu.
KZN police spokesperson Constable Thenjiswa Ngcobo said Thornville police opened a case of public violence following an incident that occurred at the Ntabamnyama area on September 17, 2022. The matter was withdrawn at Pietermaritzburg Magistrate’s Court on January 30, 2023.
Ngcobo said Thornville police are also investigating a case of intimidation following an incident where a 47-year-old man alleged that he was intimidated by another male on July 27, 2023, at Thornville.
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