Cops take 8 hours to open murder case
DURBAN 27032012 Thembelihle Ngcobo with a photo of her son Mthoko Ngcobo, at her home, Umbilo. Picture: Jacques Naude DURBAN 27032012 Thembelihle Ngcobo with a photo of her son Mthoko Ngcobo, at her home, Umbilo. Picture: Jacques Naude
Umbilo police have been criticised for making a grieving mother wait more than six hours at a local hospital after her son had died, before they pitched to open a murder case.
Thembelihle Ngcobo, of Oliver Lea Drive, Umbilo, said her son, Mthokozisi Ngcobo, 25, was attacked and stabbed by three suspects while walking through Umbilo Park, on Saturday.
Witnesses had tried to help him, but the suspects escaped with his cellphone and money. Mthokozisi was the sole breadwinner for his family.
He was taken to King Edward VIII Hospital, where he died on Monday morning.
Ngcobo said the police were alerted to her son’s death at 10am by the hospital staff. They only arrived at 6pm.
Ngcobo said she had no private transport or money for a bus to take her to the police station.
“When the policemen came to the hospital, they apologised for the delay. They said they had no vehicle available earlier.”
Ngcobo said she was at first frustrated by the delay, but had no ill feelings towards the police.
Lieutenant-Colonel Vincent Mdunge, KwaZulu-Natal police spokesman, said the police station had sufficient vehicles and that police had responded within reasonable time.
“The officers were sent to the hospital as soon as the incident was reported, which was after the victim had died.”
The Umbilo Action Group’s Vanessa Burger said no arrests had been made since the attack and accused police of dragging their heels.
She said the suspects were known to the community and had been identified from previous muggings and attacks in Umbilo Park.
All wore navy overalls and safety boots and were apparently unkempt and dirty, Burger said.
Burger said one of the suspects also had medium length dreadlocks.
She said the crime scene was not secured by police and none of the witnesses had been interviewed.
“This is not laziness or poor service delivery, it’s inhumane.
“We would like to remind Umbilo police that this is a murder case and not a bicycle theft, and the perpetrators are still among us, free to rob and kill again,” she said.
She said crime was rife in the area and urged police to heed their request for extra patrols and sting operations. - Daily News