Two members of the Anti-Gang Unit accused of stealing R15 000 from a Mitchells Plain homeowner will be home for Christmas after they were granted R1 000 bail on Thursday.
Constables Nomvuyiso Gule, 38, and Lindani Tshinyonga, 35, of the recently launched AGU made their first appearance at the Mitchells Plain Magistrate’s Court after being arrested by their colleagues on allegations of raiding a safe at the house in Peugeot Street, Beacon Valley.
It is also alleged that the two cops were caught on camera and the homeowner has handed over the footage to investigators.
The two constables were arrested on Tuesday after the 41-year-old resident opened a case of theft against them on 29 November.
He told the Daily Voice that officers tried to arrest his 23-year-old cousin after a shooting in the area and conducted a search of his house where they assaulted his cousin and a 15-year-old boy.
He says the keys were next to the safe which contained R15 000 in cash and the officers allegedly stole the money, locked the empty safe and threw the keys behind a bed.
He says he discovered the money was gone when other cops broke the safe open to search it.
He alleges that the suspects visited him twice at the weekend in bids to convince him to withdraw the case. He further alleges that they offered him R10 000 but he refused and they were arrested.
During court proceedings, it was revealed that the pair also face assault charges and offered to pay R500 for bail after being informed that the State would not oppose their application.
Gule, dressed in black tracksuit pants and a black T-shirt, appeared nervous in the dock while Tshinyonga, in blue jeans and a pink T-shirt, grinned at the gallery where their relatives sat.
The men were represented by a private lawyer and were granted R1 000 bail each and told to return to court on 22 January. They are not allowed to visit Mitchells Plain, interfere with witnesses or leave Cape Town without informing the investigating officer.