'Drunk' Pastor gets R70 000 from cops

Pastor was held for five hours to sober up.

Pastor was held for five hours to sober up.

Published May 11, 2012

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He doesn’t smoke, let alone drink alcohol - yet this ZCC pastor was arrested on drunk-driving charges and held in a police cell for five hours.

It took six months before the charge was withdrawn and during that time Simon Makoetlane, 58, from Worcester in the Western Cape, had to explain to the church elders that he was being falsely accused.

The pastor said in papers before the Pretoria High Court that he was humiliated by his wrongful arrest and detention.

Judge Cynthia Pretorius ordered the minister of police to pay Makoetlane R70 000 in damages.

Makoetlane earlier told the court that he was driving alone down a street in Worcester late on the evening of November 24, 2007 when police pulled him over and told him to get out, which he did.

HELD FOR FIVE HOURS TO “SOBER UP”

The police then accused him of driving under the influence of alcohol. He denied this and told the police that he did not smoke, let alone drink.

Makoetlane was taken to the police station, where he was charged with drunk driving. Bail was set at R300, but he was told that he was going to be held for five hours so that he could “sober up”.

He was taken in the back of the van to a hospital. He said he saw some of his parishioners at the hospital as he was being “marched inside” by four members of the police.

A blood sample was taken and he was taken back to the police station, where his belt was removed and he was held with other suspects.

VILE LANGUAGE AND INSULTS

Makoetlane said he was afraid of the other detainees, as they mocked him for being a priest. Using “vile language and insults”, they asked him how it was that he was placed in a cell.

All charges against him were withdrawn nearly six months later because of a lack of evidence, after his blood tests proved he had consumed no alcohol.

Makoetlane said he had been a preacher for the ZCC Church since 1981. He was well known in Worcester as the leader of the church and his wife was principal of a school in the area.

He said he had been humiliated by the treatment he received from the police.

In awarding him damages, Judge Pretorius said Makoetlane was no longer a young man, he had social standing in the community and he was treated in an undignified manner without any explanation being advanced by the police for this treatment.

The judge said it took the police six months to withdraw the charges. During this time Makoetlane was regarded as a person who drove his car while being drunk. He also had to explain himself to the church elders and his flock. - Pretoria News

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