- A Langa pastor is spitting fire after a man suspected of breaking into the church was allegedly released by police due to “lack of evidence”.
- Rev Lizo Ndemka lambasted Langa officers and accused them of siding with criminals instead of protecting their victims.
- City Vision sent a media enquiry to Langa Police Station on Monday 22 January regarding the incident and they failed to respond.
A Langa pastor is spitting fire after a man suspected of breaking into the church was allegedly released by police due to “lack of evidence”.
Rev Lizo Ndemka lambasted Langa officers and accused them of siding with criminals instead of protecting their victims.
The Methodist Church in Africa leader said the officers had failed him and his family when they needed them the most.
He said thieves had broken into his mission house in Sigcawu Street while he was away on holiday in the Eastern Cape last December and stole his belongings.
Ndemka said he had to cut his holiday short to attend to the incident.
“We received a call on Thursday 21 December from one of our neighbours who was looking after our house while we were on holiday,” he related.
“He told us there had been a break-in at the house and almost all our belongings were stolen, including two cases of alcohol, a gas cylinder, blankets and other stuff.
“He did not sleep in the house. He would come and open it during the day and go to sleep in his house at night.”
Ndemka said the neighbour saw the mess when he opened the premises in the morning.
He informed him that the criminals had entered through a back window. “We arrived on Sunday 31 December from the Eastern Cape and opened a case at the police station the following day.
From that day to this, not a single officer has come to my house to investigate or update us on the case. On Friday 5 January, I went to the station to find out what was going on, but was told the detective in charge of (the case) was not in the office.”
Ndemka stated a suspect was identified and one day his wife bumped into him at a local clinic.
“It was on Friday 12 January when my wife saw the suspect,” he said. “I went there and caught him, and took him to my house. I called the Langa Safety Patrol (LSP) and the suspect agreed that he took our stuff together with his friend and went to sell it.
“We managed to get some of our belongings and we took them to the police station.”
Ndemka added the officers arrested him and later sent him an SMS that stated the culprit would appear in court on Monday 15 January.
However, he said the SMS didn’t state which court was the suspect going to appear in.
“I didn’t go court because the officers didn’t tell me where to go. But on the same day I was supposed to go to court I saw the suspect walking in my street. His mother’s house is just opposite the mission house.
“I went to the officers to ask why they had released the suspect and they told me they did not have enough evidence to use against him.”
LSP chair Bandile Gcuwa confirmed he was aware of the church incident and said they assisted the pastor in finding some of his belongings.
City Vision sent a media enquiry to Langa Police Station on Monday 22 January regarding the incident and they failed to respond.
On Monday 29 January, the newspaper dispatched another enquiry, to the provincial police offices and copied the Langa Police Station.
Provincial police spokesperson W/O Joseph Swartbooi said the office advised that the complainant arrange a meeting with the local station commander and head of detectives to discuss his concern with them as station management.
“The detective head will be in the best position to answer the questions cited in your enquiry,” he said.