Laingville community questions swift arrests in police shooting of Mthokozisi Ntumba, while death of Leo Williams still unresolved

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) confirmed that the investigation into the death of nine-year-old Leo Williams was finalised in January 2021. However, further expert investigations remain to be finalised.

This was the response from IPID spokesperson Ndileka Cola to an inquiry from Maverick Citizen why, after almost eight months, the investigation into the death of Leo has not been finalised. Leo was hit by a police rubber bullet during a protest in Laingville, St Helena Bay, on the Cape West Coast in July 2020.

Leo died on 17 August and no police member has been arrested. 

This wound was reopened when IPID indicated on Monday that four police officers had been arrested in less than a week in connection with the shooting of Mthokozisi Ntumba, 33, near Wits University in Johannesburg on Wednesday, 10 March. Ntumba died after being hit by a rubber bullet fired at protesting students.

IPID’s Cola said in a statement on the day of Ntumba’s shooting that the directorate had collected numerous witness statements and confiscated firearms that had been taken for ballistic tests.

Five days later, on Monday, 15 March, IPID confirmed that four officers from the public order policing unit had been arrested in connection with the death of Ntumba.

The police officers are Constable Tshepiso Kekana, 27, Sergeant Motseothata Boitumelo, 43, Sergeant Madimeja Lekgodi, 37, and Warrant Officer Victor Nkosinathi Mohammed, 51.

The difference in the way the two cases have been handled elicited widespread condemnation from Laingville residents. With community leader Thyrone Williams, they have sent several messages to Cola demanding clarity on how IPID managed to, within a week, arrest four police officers in the Ntumba murder and after seven months make no arrests in Leo’s case.

Cola said: “The directorate will further interact with the office of the Director of Public Prosecutions to ensure that all required evidence is obtained. We anticipate that finalisation of technical reports is expected on or before the end of April, latest mid-May.”

Referring to the Ntumba and Leo matters, Cola said the facts of these cases were different, that the evidence required to prove the cases differed and that different investigative aids to finalise the cases had to be employed.

“These influence and/or determine turnaround times. The St Helena Bay case differs in terms of its merits – there are expert intricacies that may not be present in the Gauteng case.

“Furthermore, the evidence required to prove the cases differs in some technical expert evidence that is required: for example, some cases require reconstruction of the crime scene as a requirement,” Cola added.

IPID gave the assurance they would keep Leo’s family informed about the status of the case, and that they would remain seized with the case.

Maverick Citizen approached Thyrone Williams for a response to the IPID undertaking ahead of an urgent community meeting that was held on Wednesday night in Laingville.

In a statement, Williams said the Laingville community was disappointed with the way IPID handled Leo’s case.

He pointed out that Cola said on national TV last year that the case of Leo Williams was highly prioritised and that the matter would be solved within the next month or so. It is now seven months down the line and still nothing has happened, he said.

“We as a community of Laingville demand some answers from IPID as this investigation is taking too long. We give IPID seven days to respond,” he said.

Meanwhile, the four police officers arrested in connection with the shooting of Ntumba briefly appeared in the Johannesburg Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. 

They are facing charges of murder, attempted murder and defeating the ends of justice. The officers have been remanded in custody for a formal bail application on Wednesday, 24 March.

“IPID is still investigating the case... as such, the directorate, through the National Prosecuting Authority, will be opposing bail,” Cola said. MC/DM