The Act states that a private person can arrest any person who commits or attempt to commit an offence in his presence or whom he reasonably suspects of having committed an offence.
Santaco spokesperson Mmatshikhidi Phala said the Act was vague.
“It only says citizens can make arrests but it doesn't detail what powers the person making the arrest has. It needs to be specific on where does one detain the person they have arrested and for how long because the reality is that we have an effective police system and police take long to respond to crime.
“The law must tell us what powers the civilian has if the suspect is retaliating and resisting the said arrest and what legal protection does the citizen have in that situation,” said Phala.
In 2010, Santaco started the Hlokomela Campaign which was aimed at ensuring that taxi drivers and operators comply with the law. The campaign has since evolved to focus on general crime.
“SA has a big crime problem and sometimes drugs are sold at taxi ranks. When our members apprehend these criminals they don't know how far they can go and the powers they have,” said Phala.
Meanwhile, the Palm Ridge District Court yesterday granted Khumalo R20,000 bail. However, the crime-buster had to spend the night at Ramonokopi police station in Katlehong because the court proceedings ended after the bail office had closed.
Khumalo had handed himself over to the police yesterday morning following a police investigation in the murder of Robert Varrie, 49, an alleged drug dealer who “died of strangulation” in July when Sizok'thola crew confronted him at his house in Katlehong.
Varrie was allegedly assaulted after he did not confess to being a drug dealer. He was then taken to Thelle Mogoerane Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Adv Prince Mafa — while reading the bail application affidavit — said his client intended to plead not guilty.
The court was full of members of the public in support of Khumalo, with some wearing shirts printed “Xolani Foundation”.
Varrie’s family and friends condemned the show. “My brother, imagine if we all took the law into our own hands. We would become a lawless society. No drugs were found on Robert’s property. We are not here to judge anybody, we just want the law to take it course,” said a gentleman who did not want to be named.
Kgodiso Komane from the foundation said they believed that Khumalo was innocent. “He is a warrior and a crime fighter, he does his work for the community as you can see by the support shown to him. People of different ages and as far as Soweto came here to support him.
“We believe in his innocence and were are encouraged by how authorities have handled the matter, but we are disappointed by the bail amount. Xolani has put so many drug dealers behind bars and will fall victim to the same criminals he put in prison should he spend time in prison,” he said.
Prosecutor Pheello Vilakazi said the state did not oppose bail and asked that Khumalo hand over his passport and report to his nearest police station once a week.
The case will back in court next month.
Taximen, anti-crime groups back Sizok’thola presenter
Court grants Khumalo R20k bail for murder charge
Image: Thulani Mbele
Sizok’thola TV show presenter Xolani Khumalo, supported by taxi operators and anticrime organisations, want government to amend laws — giving citizens more powers to arrest criminals.
They claim the law needs to be changed and made more explicit in order to empower members of the public to arrest criminal suspects. Khumalo, who presents the popular anti-drug show Sizok'thola, was arrested yesterday in connection with the death of a suspected drug dealer who died under mysterious circumstances while being interrogated by him and his crew in July.
On Friday, Khumalo, the South African National Taxi Council (Santaco) and more than 20 other community-based anti-crime organisations marched to the Union Buildings and handed over a memorandum of demand to the police ministry. They stated that Section 42 of the Criminal Procedure Act is vague and does not go beyond what needs to happen once a suspect has been arrested by a civilian.
The Act states that a private person can arrest any person who commits or attempt to commit an offence in his presence or whom he reasonably suspects of having committed an offence.
Santaco spokesperson Mmatshikhidi Phala said the Act was vague.
“It only says citizens can make arrests but it doesn't detail what powers the person making the arrest has. It needs to be specific on where does one detain the person they have arrested and for how long because the reality is that we have an effective police system and police take long to respond to crime.
“The law must tell us what powers the civilian has if the suspect is retaliating and resisting the said arrest and what legal protection does the citizen have in that situation,” said Phala.
In 2010, Santaco started the Hlokomela Campaign which was aimed at ensuring that taxi drivers and operators comply with the law. The campaign has since evolved to focus on general crime.
“SA has a big crime problem and sometimes drugs are sold at taxi ranks. When our members apprehend these criminals they don't know how far they can go and the powers they have,” said Phala.
Meanwhile, the Palm Ridge District Court yesterday granted Khumalo R20,000 bail. However, the crime-buster had to spend the night at Ramonokopi police station in Katlehong because the court proceedings ended after the bail office had closed.
Khumalo had handed himself over to the police yesterday morning following a police investigation in the murder of Robert Varrie, 49, an alleged drug dealer who “died of strangulation” in July when Sizok'thola crew confronted him at his house in Katlehong.
Varrie was allegedly assaulted after he did not confess to being a drug dealer. He was then taken to Thelle Mogoerane Hospital where he was declared dead on arrival.
Adv Prince Mafa — while reading the bail application affidavit — said his client intended to plead not guilty.
The court was full of members of the public in support of Khumalo, with some wearing shirts printed “Xolani Foundation”.
Varrie’s family and friends condemned the show. “My brother, imagine if we all took the law into our own hands. We would become a lawless society. No drugs were found on Robert’s property. We are not here to judge anybody, we just want the law to take it course,” said a gentleman who did not want to be named.
Kgodiso Komane from the foundation said they believed that Khumalo was innocent. “He is a warrior and a crime fighter, he does his work for the community as you can see by the support shown to him. People of different ages and as far as Soweto came here to support him.
“We believe in his innocence and were are encouraged by how authorities have handled the matter, but we are disappointed by the bail amount. Xolani has put so many drug dealers behind bars and will fall victim to the same criminals he put in prison should he spend time in prison,” he said.
Prosecutor Pheello Vilakazi said the state did not oppose bail and asked that Khumalo hand over his passport and report to his nearest police station once a week.
The case will back in court next month.
Sizokuthola presenter hands himself to the police
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