Politician accuses police of lying about break-in

MBOMBELA – A break-in at MEC Mr Andries Gamede’s house took a controversial turn this week when he claimed that the police had lied about the details.

The house in Piet Retief belonging to Gamede, the MEC for agriculture and treasurer of the provincial ANC, was burgled in May. He says he told police that R20 000 and documents were stolen from a safe.

On Sunday City Press reported that R30 000 and Krugerrands worth R5 million were stolen.

Provincial police spokesman Brig Selvy Mohlala had revealed this information to reporter Mr Sizwe Sama Yende.

Gamede called a press conference on Wednesday to announce he intends to sue the publication for defamation, calling the story “fabricated and concocted”.

He repeated numerous times that he has never owned a single Krugerrand in his life.

He indicated that his claim to defamation is based on the sentences: “A Mpumalanga politician claims a large amount of money was stolen in a plot on his life”, and “A Mpumalanga MEC has had R5 million in Krugerrands and R30 000 in cash stolen from his house”.

Yende also reported that Gamede claimed the incident was meant to threaten his life, that the thieves had a key to his front door, that a friend of Gamede’s late son was arrested for the incident, that the suspect claims he was tortured by police and that Gamede claims his daughter’s former lover was involved. Lowvelder has seen the SMS from Mohlala to Yende confirming the theft of the Krugerrands.

“You must sue them if you think they have misled you,” Gamede told him.

“And I think they have misled you, I can tell you now. You thought you had a case. They have misled you. Unfortunately. And you must accept you have been misled. But that is not my problem. You as City Press, you must deal with Mohlala.”

At the time of going to press, the provincial police had not respond to a request for comment.