WATCH: Theft suspect in Chief Justice burglary case asks 'why me?'

26 March 2017 - 02:00 By GRAEME HOSKEN
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Nkosinathi Msimango moments before handing himself over to police at the Boschkop Police station, East of Pretoria.
Nkosinathi Msimango moments before handing himself over to police at the Boschkop Police station, East of Pretoria.
Image: Alaister Russell/TheTimes

Nkosinathi Msimango has one question for acting national police commissioner Lieutenant-General Khomotso Phahlane: "Why me and where did you get my name from?"

Phahlane named Msimango on Wednesday as someone who had crucial information about the theft last week of 15 computers from the office of the chief justice, and urged him to hand himself over.

But it took one call by the Sunday Times to track down Msimango this week.

"The commissioner said he was looking for me. Now I am here. I have always been here. I never ran away. I never hid.

"He must come and interview me, and tell me how I am involved in this theft," Msimango said on Friday shortly before handing himself over to police.

He was arrested two hours later. Before then, Msimango entered the Boschkop police station in Pretoria, laughing at allegations that he was working for the State Security Agency (SSA) and had committed the theft on its behalf.

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"I have no knowledge of the agency. Why would I? I am a simple taxi driver," he said.

"Putting my name out in the public, like the commissioner did, people now think I am responsible for this theft. But I had nothing to do with it.

"I don't know anything about computers," he insisted.

He had never heard of the office of the chief justice, Msimango told the Sunday Times, until Phahlane held a press conference this week.

The stolen computers contain the personal information of the country's judges.

The theft happened a day after two damning judgments were handed down by the courts against the government.

Last Friday, the High Court in Pretoria invalidated and set aside Police Minister Nathi Nhleko's appointment of Berning Ntlemeza as the head of the Hawks. The high court was scathing about how Nhleko had ignored previous, critical assessments of Ntlemeza made in other judgments.

On the same day, the Constitutional Court delivered judgment in the social grants fiasco, laying the blame for the incompetent handling of the matter on Social Development Minister Bathabile Dlamini, who has to provide the court with reasons why she should not pay costs.

The timing of the burglary has led to some questioning if it was politically motivated and whether or not Msimango is linked to the SSA.

Msimango said he handed himself over for his safety.

Given Msimango and Bigboy Yose, Msimango's brother and cousin, appeared in the Mamelodi Magistrate's Court in connection with the burglary.

Lawyer Sammy Mahlangu, who is representing the Msimango brothers and their cousin, dismissed allegations his client had links to the SSA.

"The time that people say he was working for these people, he was in prison awaiting trial. He was in custody from 2005 to 2011. He was in prison awaiting trial for house robbery," explained Mahlangu.

Colonel Athlenda Mathe, Phahlane's spokeswoman, said she could not comment on the matter. "Our investigator will take the matter forward."

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