EFF MP Naledi Chirwa has spoken out after her arrest at the Brooklyn police station in Pretoria. She said she was injured during the incident and has opened her own assault case against a police officer.
On Friday, police confirmed that a 33-year-old woman, said to be an EFF MP, was arrested on Thursday night. Police said she caused a commotion at the station and allegedly assaulted a police officer.
The woman was released on a warning later that night. She is expected to appear in the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
“I’ve been to the emergency room and got all injuries documented after an undesirable incident at Brooklyn police station on late Thursday afternoon and evening,” Chirwa wrote on X.
SAPS national spokesperson Brig Athlenda Mathe said the trouble started over an affidavit. She said the woman was unhappy with the service she got when she asked for the document to be commissioned.
“Preliminary reports indicate that the woman had requested the commissioning of an affidavit that had already been signed,” Mathe said.
Mathe said the woman was told that an affidavit must be signed in front of a Commissioner of Oaths. According to police, she was unhappy with this answer and a commotion followed, during which she allegedly assaulted an officer.
Chirwa gave a different account on X. She said she was refused service and tried to record a video of the officer turning her away.
“After two attempts over two days trying to open a case of assault against a police officer, I finally was granted my right to report a case today [Saturday] against Colonel Dintwe, who assaulted me for demanding services and attempting to record a video of him refusing and turning me back,” she wrote.
Chirwa said she was turned away at 5pm. She said she went back at about midnight and was helped by the same staff at the same station.
She also claimed she was wrongly detained. Chirwa said the officer released her after he found out who she was and asked to talk to her privately.
She said she refused to speak to him. According to Chirwa, the officer then laid a charge against her.
“He then decided to lay a case against me, detain me again, and involve the media in an attempt to protect himself and control the narrative regarding his undue and violent actions against me,” Chirwa said.
Chirwa said she will let the law take its course. She asked people who have been treated the same way at public service offices to contact her.
“Lies have short legs, and truth stands the test of time,” she said.
“No matter your rank, your position in society, or your bank balance, when you serve the people, you must do so with humility, respect, and compassion,” Chirwa added.
The case against the 33-year-old woman is set to be heard in the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court on Monday.
Source: this article is based on reporting by TimesLIVE. Image: TimesLIVE. Written with the help of AI and published by the Tzaneen Voice News desk. See our Editorial Standards.
Kgomotso Maake covers news and politics for Tzaneen Voice. Kgomotso reports on government, Parliament, municipalities, courts, crime and service delivery across South Africa, with a close eye on how national decisions reach towns like Tzaneen and the wider Limpopo province. Stories are written in plain English and focus on the facts: who made the decision, what it means, and what happens next.