Rustenburg – North West police on Saturday denied allegations that the Democratic Alliance was prevented from laying charges against North West premier Supra Mahumapelo.
"The DA went to the Coligny police station to lay charges; they then left stating they will write their own statement which will be commissioned at that station. They did not return," said Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone.
DA North West leader Joe McGluwa said he was blocked from pressing criminal charges against Mahumapelo at the Coligny police station on Friday. He said deputy provincial police commissioner Patrick Asaneng declined to accept the DA's charges against Mahumapelo.
"It is nothing short of unconstitutional for the SAPS [SA Police Service] to reject a criminal complaint on flimsy grounds that our statement wasn't in the form of a sworn affidavit and refusing to take a statement from us," he said.
McGluwa went to the police station to lay a charge of inciting violence following Mahumapelo's statements at the funeral service of Matlhomola Jonas Mosweu, 16, who was allegedly killed by two farmers Pieter Doorewaard, 26, and Phillip Schutte, 34, for allegedly stealing sunflowers.
The two alleged they put Mosweu in the back of a van intending to take him to the police station, but he jumped out of the moving van and injured his neck. An eyewitness told police Mosweu was thrown out of a moving van. He died on his way to hospital.
The two accused have been granted R5000 bail each and their case was postponed to June 26. At the funeral last weekend, Mahumapelo told mourners that, among other things, white people came empty handed to South Africa. None of them came with sunflowers, cows, or land. He later told a public meeting in Tlhabologang near Coligny that he would not retract his utterances as he had done nothing illegal.
He said the "truth" must be told unapologetically to "rebuild" Coligny.
The provincial government has proposed a five-point plan to bring stability in Coligny and heal racial tension and respond to other issues affecting residents of the tiny maize producing town.
A "reconciliation, healing, and renewal forum" was established for Coligny to attend to problems in the town. Mahumapelo has also formed a task team to probe the problems that led to protests in the Ditsobotla local municipality.