The Inkatha Freedom Party in KwaZulu-Natal is challenging the SAPS to reveal what has happened to former KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson Vincent Mdunge, after he was sentenced to five years in prison in May 2015 and had subsequently lost his appeal in the Pietermaritzburg High Court.
“It boggles the mind that someone who was in the police service and has been convicted on 2 counts of fraud and one count of forgery for having faked his matric certificate which allowed him to get a promotion in the police services and also allowed him entry to the University of South Africa, is allowed to walk around as a free man. Surely the justice system is clear about the appeal process and if there has been no appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal then the SAPS should have ensured that Mdunge was behind bars a long time ago. His appeal to the Pietermaritzburg High Court was dismissed in February and he would have had 21 days to appeal. The KZN Director of Public Prosecutions, Advocate Moipone Noko is not aware of any further action taken by either Mdunge or his attorney that will legally allow him to not be in prison”, said IFP Spokesperson on Community Safety, Mr Blessed Gwala MPL.
“We would like to know if Mdunge is being given any special privileges because of his political connections or because of him having been the former KwaZulu-Natal police spokesperson. Whatever the case might be, it is unacceptable that someone who has been sentenced in a court of law remains a free man. This is a clear case of justice denied and it sends a message that there is something very wrong in the SAPS. If Mdunge has indeed made an appeal to the Supreme Court of Appeal then he must provide proof via his attorney. Since he has not done so it is clear that he has not pursued this route and therefore it becomes incumbent upon the SAPS to find him and take him to prison. We cannot have the SAPS making flesh of one fish of another. The message must be that everyone is equal before the law. Should we not uphold this basic principle of law, then we will end up living in an unruly and chaotic state,” concluded Mr Gwala.
Issued by:
Mr Blessed Gwala MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Community Safety
078 290 5842