The five people accused of stealing jewellery valued at R4-million from Winnie Madikizela-Mandela’s home were severely beaten by police, the Orlando Magistrate’s Court heard on Friday.
Mbuso Vutela, Paul Githuka and his wife Nolwazi, his son, Mpumelelo, and daughter Jerry made their first appearance on Friday.
The case was postponed to March 2.
Their attorney, Owen Khumalo, requested that his clients be moved from Orlando West police station to prison as police officers were assaulting them.
Khumalo said his clients were told that the assaults would not stop until the stolen jewellery was found. He also requested that Jerry be seen by medical practitioner. ”It is unfortunate — because she is a woman she can’t show the court the bruises.”
The court turned down the request to move the accused from the police station, saying the defence could not tell the police how to do their investigation. The magistrate recommended that Jerry Githuka see a doctor.
The Star newspaper earlier reported that five of the seven suspects arrested in connection with the theft were related to Madikizela-Mandela.
Madikizela-Mandela was in the United States last week, and on her return discovered two safes at her home had been stolen and a third tampered with.
She has been quoted as saying she was not aware of relatives being arrested.
Police also would not say whether any of the suspects were related to the former African National Congress Women’s League president.
”There’s a lot to this case and we cannot reveal anything other than that arrests were made,” Soweto police spokesperson Captain Jacqueline Mbatha said on Thursday night.
Sources close to the police told the Star that the suspects were indeed related to Madikizela-Mandela. — Sapa