‘Politics plays a role’, in why Duduzile Zuma wasn’t arrested for ‘we see you’ tweets

Investigations continue following the arrest of the 20 alleged instigators of the July 2021 unrest.

However, the Hawks have reportedly indicated that more arrests were pending.

This refers to so-called “masterminds”, who were still at large and not among the 84 suspects.

A group of alleged instigators were rounded up and made a brief appearance in court on Friday.

ALSO READ: July unrest: 21 alleged instigators granted R3,000 bail

However, those were “just the tip of the iceberg” according to Hawks national spokesperson, Brigadier Nomthandazo Mbambo.

Criminal law expert Dr Llewellyn Curlewis said it was concerning that only the 20 arrested would stand trial while those who were behind the unrest were still at large.

“But they [the preliminary accused] are going to point fingers and say ‘but why are we before court and nobody else’ and eventually names will drop,” he said.

When asked about former president Jacob Zuma’s daughter, Dudu Zuma-Sambudla, not being a part of those arrested on Thursday, Curlewis said “politics plays a definite role” when it comes to Zuma-Sambudla”.

Hawks KwaZulu-Natal spokesperson, Major-General Lesetja Senona, who was at the court, told media that Zuma-Sambudla was under investigation following a case opened by Democratic Alliance (DA) MP Glynnis Breytenbach.

READ: A nose for trouble: Dudu Zuma ‘smells another unrest’, takes swipes at Ramaphosa

However, a legal analyst, advocate Modidima Mannya, said it seemed “bigger fish were still coming”.

“The police have already confirmed that she is also a person of interest,” Mannya said.

“I heard their boss say they wanted to make sure that they do not arrest people who are later let off the hook due to poor investigative work,” he said, in reference to the Hawks.

Mannya said he believed the police had a water-tight case, which could potentially bring them to the real masterminds of the unrest.

The Hawks’ Mbambo said while they cannot confirm investigations against any particular person until the person had been brought to book, a number of statements were deposed which implicate a number of people.

The Ventersdorp Magistrates’ Court transferred the case of Matthews Stanley Ntjontjo, 51, for “instigating by WhatsApp messages”, to KwaZulu-Natal.

NOW READ: July unrest in numbers: Arrests, court cases and investigations