‘Sloppy’ police work raises suspicions

University of Fort Hare has raised concerns over alleged poor police work around the death of a member of the protection unit, Msingathi Langa, whose vehicle was rammed into over the weekend.

Langa died in a car crash on Sunday when an NP200 bakkie rammed into his vehicle along Cambridge Road in Qonce, Eastern Cape.

University spokesperson JP Roodt said there was lack of basic and fundamental procedural forensic protocols at the crime scene, with police allegedly failing to document the registration details of the car that rammed into Langa’s.

“No accident reports were taken or filed before the vehicles were moved. We have established that the Qonce police station omitted to document the vehicle registration details of the car that rammed into Mr Langa’s car in the station’s OB [Occurrence Book],” he said.

“Concerningly, authorities failed to take blood tests to determine if this was a case of drunken driving or deliberate, despite the fact that the driver was delivered to the police through a civil arrest by our protection services...Whilst authorities knew the identity of the driver responsible already on Sunday, they only made an arrest today. These developments, in our opinion, are highly suspicious. The university formally requests an investigation into police conduct.

“The university notes with concern a televised interview where police minister Bheki Cele indicated that foul play cannot be ruled out.”

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brig Thembinkosi Kinana said people had the right to raise concerns about police work, however SAPS is however unable to make articulations and analysis of the crime scene details in the public, as this may potentially jeopardise the ongoing investigations.

“For this reason, we encourage those who have concerns and suspicions about the way the crime scene was handled, to please lodge their complaint with the King William’s Town police station management for clarities and amicable resolution of the misunderstanding around these matters...”

The circumstances surrounding the incident are still subject of investigation and anyone with information that can assist the process of this investigation is requested to please make contact the investigating officer,”

Langa, who worked for the university since 2013, was a key witness in murder cases of two of his colleagues following an arrest of five people.

There are also five men accused of being involved in the January attempted murder of vice-chancellor Prof Sakhela Buhlungu, which led to the death of one of his bodyguards, Mboneli Vesele. They also face another murder charge for the death of the university’s fleet manager, Petrus Roets, who was shot and killed in his car at the Gonubie off-ramp outside East London.

Roodt said Langa’s family identified him on Tuesday morning. “It is painful today for us to share that our colleague’s parents are in mourning and that Mr Langa’s sister has been bereaved of her only sibling,” he said.

“We remember our colleague for always having one of the warmest and most sincere smiles, and for the deep levels of respect and courtesy he exhibited to those he worked with, and those who encountered him.”

sibiyan@sowetan.co.za