SABC-TV news reporter Zimkhitha Macingwana-Manqinana wants King Sabata Dalindyebo (KSD) municipality to pay her R500000 in damages for allegedly detaining her unlawfully.
Macingwana-Manqinana claims KSD law enforcement officers held her for nine hours earlier this month for a minor traffic offence.
The Mthatha-based journalist was caught overtaking on the left in a single lane area, and claims she was taken to the traffic department where she claims she was told she could only leave with her car once she paid a R1000 fine.
She claims to have been kept at the department from 10am to 7pm, when her husband, who was at work in Ngcobo, was able to travel to Mthatha and pay the R1000 fine.
She has hired Mthatha law firm, Mvuzo Notyesi Incorporated as she tries to get the municipality to pay half a million rand in damages.
Notyesi sent a letter of demand to the municipality on August 11 with the council confirming on Tuesday it had received it.
Yesterday Macingwana-Manqinana said because of being “illegally detained”, she could not attend to her sick one-month-old baby.
“What frustrated me more is that I was rushing to my sick baby which is why I ended up overtaking on the left. My baby spent two days in hospital because of the punishment that was enforced on me,” Macingwana-Manqinana said.
Macingwana-Manqinana tried to get senior state prosecutor Thembisa Ntloko to intervene.
In the letter to the traffic officers, which the Daily Dispatch has seen, Ntloko warned that their action “is unlawful and can invite a civil claim against the municipality”.
Notyesi said his client’s freedom of movement was infringed.
KSD municipal spokesman Sonwabo Mampoza confirmed that they had received the letter of demand but declined to comment further, only saying “I am still consulting”. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za
Journalist sues KSD for R500k
Macingwana-Manqinana claims KSD law enforcement officers held her for nine hours earlier this month for a minor traffic offence.
The Mthatha-based journalist was caught overtaking on the left in a single lane area, and claims she was taken to the traffic department where she claims she was told she could only leave with her car once she paid a R1000 fine.
She claims to have been kept at the department from 10am to 7pm, when her husband, who was at work in Ngcobo, was able to travel to Mthatha and pay the R1000 fine.
She has hired Mthatha law firm, Mvuzo Notyesi Incorporated as she tries to get the municipality to pay half a million rand in damages.
Notyesi sent a letter of demand to the municipality on August 11 with the council confirming on Tuesday it had received it.
Yesterday Macingwana-Manqinana said because of being “illegally detained”, she could not attend to her sick one-month-old baby.
“What frustrated me more is that I was rushing to my sick baby which is why I ended up overtaking on the left. My baby spent two days in hospital because of the punishment that was enforced on me,” Macingwana-Manqinana said.
Macingwana-Manqinana tried to get senior state prosecutor Thembisa Ntloko to intervene.
In the letter to the traffic officers, which the Daily Dispatch has seen, Ntloko warned that their action “is unlawful and can invite a civil claim against the municipality”.
Notyesi said his client’s freedom of movement was infringed.
KSD municipal spokesman Sonwabo Mampoza confirmed that they had received the letter of demand but declined to comment further, only saying “I am still consulting”. — ndamasem@dispatch.co.za
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