Cape Town - The charges against a Wallacedene ouma who was falsely accused and arrested for selling alcohol without a liquor licence have been dropped.
Joeleen Slingers, 56, was arrested at her daughter’s house in Wallacedene on 21 December, when cops arrived at the property and confiscated R7 500 worth of dop intended for her grandson’s initiation celebration on 29 January.
Officers accused her of operating a smokkelhuis and arrested her despite being shown slips by her 34-year-old daughter Julian Davids, who at the time claimed that she had saved up to buy the booze for her son.
Davids explained: “I had been saving for months.
“We have three boys in one family who were going into the bush and we needed the alcohol for the celebration when they got back. In total, I bought different alcohol that came to R7 500.”
She has also laid criminal charges against the police officers who seized the booze.
Hours after her arrest, Slingers was released on a R1 000 fine and appeared in Kuils River Magistrate’s Court last Wednesday where the case was dropped.
A relieved Slingers told the Daily Voice: “Hulle het die saak terug getrek van die drank wat hulle gevat het, en ons gaan dit nou terug kry maar wat gaan ons met dit maak.”
She says that the officers who confiscated the alcohol never booked everything in at the police station.
Police spokesperson Captain FC van Wyk confirmed that the investigation is still ongoing.
Van Wyk says: “Kindly be advised that a 56-year-old woman was arrested for dealing in liquor without a licence and was released on an admission-of-guilt fine. The investigation into the matter continues.”