36/1/4/1/201000210
NATIONAL ASSEMBLY
FOR ORAL REPLY

QUESTION NO 155

DATE OF PUBLICATION IN INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER: 24 AUGUST 2010
(INTERNAL QUESTION PAPER NO 24- 2010)

Date reply submitted: 2 September 2010

155.    Ms D Kohler-Barnard (DA) to ask the Minister of Police:

(1) (a) What (i) are the reasons for dispatching approximately 20 SA Police Service (SAPS) officers and six SAPS vehicles to arrest a certain person (Mzilikazi wa Afrika) and(ii) was the (aa) total cost and (bb) impact on the general duties of the SAPS of utilising this number of vehicles and officers for the arrest, (b) on what basis was the person arrested and (c) how long after the person's arrest was he afforded the opportunity to (i) contact and (ii) consult with his attorney;

(2) whether the National Commissioner was informed of the intended arrest; if not, (a) why not and (b) on whose authority was the arrest made; if so,

(3) whether he authorised the arrest; if not, who authorised the arrest; if so, what was the basis for his decision?

NO2825E

REPLY:

According to reports received by myself, the arrest was made by the local Rosebank police station, after the Investigating Officer from Mpumalanga waited more than two hours at the Rosebank station for the person to hand themselves over to the police.

When the suspect failed to present himself the Investigating Officer and two other officers proceeded in one vehicle to the place of this person's work. At the place of work a commotion broke out and other vehicles were dispatched to establish the problem.

The costs for any arrest are not calculated on an individual basis by are part of SAPS operational budget,

There was no impact on the general duties on SAPS as the dispatched vehicles hardly spent 10 minutes at the scene. After this the person was arrested.

The person in question was arrested on the charges of fraud and forgery after a case had been opened in Mpumalanga.

The person's lawyer was present at the time of arrest. And therefore there was no time delay in contacting his lawyer

The National Commissioner is not informed each time the police affect an arrest and therefore in this matter it was not required for the Investigating officer to first inform the National Commissioner. As such the National Commissioner was not informed prior to the arrest.

Every investigating officer has the powers and authority to affect an arrest after a docket has been opened and this instance was no different.

Reply to question 155 approved by Minister

Issued by Parliament, September 3 2010

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