Police Minister ordered to pay Durban woman R580,000 for unlawful arrest in mistaken identity case
A Durban woman who was arrested at King Shaka International Airport and detained in a cell described as 'dirty' and containing faeces for a week due to mistaken identity has been awarded R580,000 in damages.
This comes after the woman, Cynthia Khedama successfully sought relief at the Supreme Court of Appeal appealed against a judgment which had ordered police Minister Senzo Mchunu to pay her R350,000 after she was wrongfully arrested and held for 12 days.
The amount was initially R1 million, however, Mchunu appealed, and the amount was then set at R350,000.
On December 3, 2011, Khedama, who was 30 at the time and worked as a sales manager for a local fashion firm, was on her way to Turkey with her employer and his wife when she was stopped by police.
She was seated in the international departures lounge when she was approached by two police officers who took her to a room and questioned her about two hours regarding her journey.
After not being satisfied with her answers, they told her that she was going to be arrested. They took her suitcase and opened it in full view of the public and her belongings were scattered on the floor.
To Khedama, this was very embarrassing. She explained that she urged the police to contact an officer in Cape Town who had previously spoken to her regarding fraud allegations after she had lost her identity document.
Even after the police confirmed with the officer, they still detained her.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
TimesLIVE
4 hours ago
- TimesLIVE
Former constable sentenced to six years for corruption
The Kuruman regional court in the Northern Cape on Friday sentenced former police constable Johannes Shuping to six years' imprisonment after convicting him of corruption. The conviction on two counts of corruption involved R10,000 that Shuping solicited from a member of the public. 'The charges relate to a 2018 incident in which Shuping, then a detective at Kathu police station, rearrested the complainant, Buti Moepadira, despite the case already being before the court,' National Prosecuting Authority spokesperson Mojalefa Senokoatsane said. After his arrest, Shuping offered to 'make the docket disappear' in exchange for a payment of R11,000. 'Moepadira, who was detained at Kathu police station due to a lack of accommodation in Kuruman, was allowed by Shuping to use his cellphone to arrange the payment. A R6,000 cash payment was delivered to the accused by the complainant's brother.' Shuping continued to demand the outstanding R5,000, prompting Moepadira to report the matter to the Hawks. 'A sting operation was then conducted using marked banknotes provided by the investigating officer. During the operation, the complainant's brother handed over the remaining R4,000 to the accused. Shuping fled the scene but was arrested a week later at his workplace.' At the time of his arrest, he was found in possession of marked R200 notes, which matched the serial numbers recorded during the operation. Prosecutor Kagontle Redemption Barnett took over the case after the original prosecutor was appointed to the bench. In aggravation of sentence, she argued that Shuping had grossly abused his position of authority and violated public trust. As a law enforcement officer, he was duty-bound to uphold the law, but instead chose to betray his oath and the constitution. Barnett emphasised that a strong sentence would deter similar conduct and reinforce public confidence in the criminal justice system. The court concurred and sentenced Shuping to six years' imprisonment on each count, with the sentences ordered to run concurrently. 'The NPA welcomes the conviction and sentence. This outcome reaffirms that no one is above the law and underscores the importance of protecting the integrity of the criminal justice system by holding those who abuse their power accountable,' Senokoatsane said.
The Citizen
6 hours ago
- The Citizen
Limpopo DA lays charges over GNT pension crisis
LIMPOPO – On Monday, May 26, the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo laid criminal charges against the CEO of Great North Transport (GNT) and the Limpopo Economic Development Agency (LEDA), the sole shareholder of GNT. The charges, filed at the Polokwane Police Station, relate to the non-payment of employee pension fund and medical aid contributions. Jacques Smalle, DA Limpopo provincial spokesperson for economic development, environment, and tourism, said LEDA, as the sole shareholder, holds both statutory and fiduciary responsibilities for GNT's financial management. 'The scale of the crisis became clear during an urgent sitting of the Limpopo Portfolio Committee on Economic Development, Environment and Tourism on Friday, May 23,' Smalle explained. 'This meeting, which followed the DA's repeated calls for GNT and LEDA to account, revealed unpaid contributions to three pension schemes totalling R6.78 million and affecting 945 employees. In some cases, employee memberships have already been suspended. If at least R1 million is not paid by the end of May, all memberships could be suspended, potentially resulting in permanent loss of pension benefits.' Smalle attributed the crisis to 'years of corruption, mismanagement, and lack of accountability' at GNT. He added that the company's failure to implement a viable turnaround strategy further deepened its financial troubles. 'The situation at GNT is dire; it has become an unsustainable entity,' Smalle said. 'The charges laid include theft, fraud, and violations of both the Pension Funds Act and the Medical Schemes Act, all of which are criminal offences.' In response to the allegations, Mthunzi Dlamini from LEDA acknowledged the outstanding contributions and said efforts were underway to settle the payments within the week. 'GNT has faced ongoing financial constraints in meeting its obligations,' Dlamini said. 'However, strategic steps have recently been taken, including the procurement of new buses to replace the ageing fleet and the launch of a bus lease programme aimed at increasing operational capacity.' LEDA CEO Thakhani Makhuvha said the LEDA is committed to resolving the issue. 'As the shareholder, LEDA has decided to step in and ensure that all outstanding pension and medical contributions are brought up to date,' Makhuvha said. 'We recognise the severity of the situation and apologise to affected employees. This is deeply regrettable.' At Caxton, we employ humans to generate daily fresh news, not AI intervention. Happy reading!
IOL News
6 hours ago
- IOL News
Man sentenced to four years for impersonating attorney and defrauding client
Doctor Sobetha has been sentenced for impersonating an attorney. The Bethal Magistrate's Court in Mpumalanga has sentenced a 32-year-old man to four years in prison for impersonating a lawyer and defrauding a client of R40,000. The sentence, which was handed down on Thursday, includes an option for Doctor Sobetha to pay a fine of R20,000. Provincial spokesperson, Lieutenant-Colonel Magonseni Nkosi, detailed how Sobetha had perpetrated this scam back in 2019, when he attempted to file a bail application on behalf of a client facing murder charges. During the court proceedings at that time, Nkosi noted that the state prosecutor quickly became suspicious of Sobetha's arguments. He was requested to prove before the court that indeed he was a legal practitioner but failed to produce such proof. "The Secunda based Serious Organised Crime Investigation members that were in court attended and an arrest was affected. The matter was referred to the Hawks Secunda based Serious Commercial Crime Investigation for further investigation," said Nkosi. Sobetha was granted bail in 2024, and then went on the run.
