Mhlaba Memela

Mhlaba Memela

Residents of a rural community north of Durban are disgusted about the ANC allegedly having intervened to stop the arrest of a councillor suspected of kidnapping and rape.

The community of Mona in Ndwedwe believe it is the second time that the suspect's arrest has been averted because of political party intervention.

"The police told us that they were instructed to release the man because the ANC was busy with their voter registration campaign," an eye-witness, who is also an ANC supporter, said.

The ANC's Ward 12 councillor, whose name is known to Sowetan, is accused of kidnapping and assaulting a police officer two weeks ago.

This after the officer questioned a friend of the councillor about the allegations that the councillor had raped a 14-year-old.

The officer was off duty at the time and with his fiancée.

When Sowetan contacted her she verified the story but said the cop did not want to talk to the media about the incident.

The community claimed that in 1990, when the councillor was still a minor, he stabbed a local boy to death but was not arrested.

An eye-witness said in the latest incident the councillor grabbed the officer's service pistol and fired randomly .

"The officer got into his car and drove off," the eye-witness said. "The councillor and his friend got into their car and chased after the police officer, firing shots at him.

"They were able to catch up with him when he stopped at a bridge. The officer was kidnapped and seriously assaulted."

The councillor was arrested on Friday and released on Saturday, a week after the incident.

ANC provincial secretary Senzo Mchunu said: "We have no proper information about this issue. We are still awaiting a full report from the ANC regional office."

Police director Phindile Radebe said: "We do not do political favours when arresting people. People who break the law are treated equally. "