Metro withdraws protection

Kosani allegedly failed to co-operate with police amid claims threats may have been personal rather than political

Buffalo City Metro has stripped a DA councillor of his security detail after he allegedly failed to co-operate with police doing a security assessment after he received death threats in August.

The Dispatch has learnt that a council meeting last week voted in favour of a report brought by speaker Humphrey Maxegwana recommending that the metro pull its security and the vehicle provided to Mawethu Kosani.

Kosani had lodged a complaint with the police in Qonce, informing them that he had received death threats related to a motion he filed with the council questioning the process of appointing ANC spokesperson Vuyo Jali as a city employee.

Kosani then approached the city, alleging he had received an envelope containing three bullets, a copy of his motion, a picture of him with his daughter and a note saying he should withdraw the motion.

One bullet was attached to the picture of him and his daughter.

The note had details of his vehicle registration, his home address and the names of his two daughters.

Kosani went into hiding, even withdrawing his eldest daughter from school, until the council provided him with security.

Now Maxegwana says he wrote a report to the council recommending Kosani’s security be withdrawn after he allegedly failed to co-operate with police.

The council accepted the recommendation and, despite protests from the DA, withdrew his security.

Maxegwana said: “It was an intervention on a threat that was related to a motion he filed.

“Once that was done, the SAPS said they were investigating a possible threat. They are still investigating.

“[The withdrawal] is based on his interaction with the SAPS. They wanted to interview him and then he delayed, thus not co-operating.

“Instead of making himself available, he said he could only [do so if he] could bring his lawyers.”

The decision to withdraw the councillor’s security was taken a few weeks after the Daily Dispatch reported that the DA was investigating Kosani’s claim after a police officer came forward alleging the threats against him were not political but involved a personal matter.

However, Maxegwana said he did not consider the new information, but relied only on information given to him verbally by police.

At this stage there was no final threat analysis.

The latest developments have angered both Kosani and his party, who maintain that the speaker should have provided an official police report to justify withdrawing the security.

Kosani said he believed his life was still in danger, and had now hired private security.

He also wrote to Maxegwana after the council meeting, asking him to reverse the decision.

Speaking to the Daily Dispatch, Kosani denied refusing to co-operate with the police.

He said he had asked to consult his lawyers only because he was suing the police officer who disputed his story for defamation.

“He is mixing up two issues. “The guy who called me said he was from crime intelligence, there was new information and he wanted to speak about a police officer who said I fabricated the death threat ...

“I told him I had heard about the allegations and I did not take the matter lightly, and the matter was with my lawyers.”

He said he wanted to consult his lawyer because he did not want to say something that could be used against him in court.

“I was not opposed to speaking to the guy from crime intelligence; [I have] sent emails to him, asking that he confirms our meeting.”

DA chief whip Anathi Majeke said it had opposed the motion to withdraw security because Maxegwana had not produced a written report supporting the accusation that Kosani was not co-operating with the police.

“They are saying he didn’t cooperate, whereas on his side he was saying he wants to meet the officer with his attorney. We don’t know what happened.

“That’s why we are saying at least if this was coming from SAPS, it would detail the sequence of events and why they are saying he is not co-operating.”

Majeke could not give details of the DA’S own investigation into the police officer’s allegations, and referred the Daily Dispatch to party leader Nqaba Bhanga. He was in a meeting and unavailable.

Police spokesperson Warrant Officer Majola Nkohli had not replied to requests for an update on the matter by the print deadline.