Cecil Motsepe

Cecil Motsepe

A police officer is in hot water after he allegedly tore to shreds a passport belonging to a Cameroon national who allegedly dared to give the officer's girlfriend a ride home.

Ramsy Tambong Ning, who lives in Hillbrow, Johannesburg, said he felt like a victim of the recent spate of xenophobic attacks after Inspector Andrew Madifela Morwa of the Pretoria crime combating unit tore his passport to pieces.

"My only crime was to give his girlfriend a lift," Ning said. "When I dropped her off outside her flat in Hillbrow I was confronted by this man claiming to be a cop."

Ning said the police officer demanded to see his passport.

"I obliged because I knew I had done no wrong," he said. "He took me to his girlfriend's room and started interrogating us.

"He told me he would teach me a lesson for giving his lover a lift. He tore my passport to pieces and threw it back at me."

Now Ning has opened a case of malicious damage to property at the Yeoville police station.

He said: "I have also approached the Cameroonian consul to South Africa, who said he would write a letter of complaint to the relevant ministries and departments so that I can get assistance."

The woman in the case, who asked not to be named, has made a statement corroborating Ning's claims.

Sowetan understands that she terminated the affair with Morwa in October but that he keeps coming back to her apartment.

Speaking to Sowetan yesterday, the officer said: "Did they tell you about the case I opened against him? I opened a case of conspiracy to commit fraud because he wanted my girlfriend to help him defraud the company she works for."

When asked about the torn passport, Morwa said: "There was a scuffle and I did not know who the passport belonged to. You can go ahead with the story, I will disclose other details in court."

Cameroon consul Betin Boukani confirmed receiving the complaint and said he would be taking the necessary steps.