3 days ago
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.
