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Naledi Chirwa-Mpungose speaks out after arrest, accuses police colonel of assault
Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) MP Naledi Chirwa-Mpungose has broken her silence following her arrest at Brooklyn Police Station in Pretoria, accusing a senior police officer of assaulting her and initially preventing her from opening a case against him.
In a statement shared publicly on Saturday, 10 October, Chirwa said she had sought medical attention to document her injuries and had eventually succeeded in laying a complaint against Colonel Dintwe, the officer she accuses of assault.
The incident reportedly began on Thursday, 8 October, when a dispute at the police station escalated into a confrontation that resulted in Chirwa’s arrest. Police have also accused her of assaulting an officer.
The competing accounts have raised questions about what happened inside the station and how the matter will proceed through the criminal justice system.
Chirwa says she was denied the right to open a case
Chirwa said she had made repeated attempts to report the alleged assault before she was eventually allowed to open a case.
“I’ve been to the emergency room and got all injuries documented after an undesirable incident at Brooklyn Police Station on Thursday late afternoon and evening,” she said.
She alleged that it took two attempts over two days before she was permitted to register a complaint against Colonel Dintwe.
“After two attempts over two days trying to open a case of assault against a police officer, I finally was granted my right to report a case against Colonel Dintwe today, who assaulted me for demanding services and attempting to record a video of him refusing and turning me back,” she said.
Chirwa further alleged that she was detained and later released before the situation escalated again.
“After being informed of who I was when I was unduly detained, the perpetrator panicked, released me and wanted to have a ‘conversation’ to which I refused and opted for things to unfold in accordance to the law,” she said.
She claimed the officer subsequently laid a case against her, resulting in her being detained again.
“He then decided to lay a case against me, detain me again and involve the media in attempt to protect himself and control the narrative for his undue and violent actions against me,” she alleged.
Her allegations have not, on their own, established that an assault occurred as described. The claims will need to be tested through the appropriate investigative and legal processes.
Police give a different account of the incident
Preliminary reports indicate that the confrontation began when Chirwa requested that an affidavit that had already been signed be commissioned at the station.
According to police, she was informed that an affidavit must be signed in the presence of a Commissioner of Oaths. The disagreement allegedly escalated, with police accusing her of assaulting an officer.
Police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi reportedly confirmed that the woman was released on a warning and was expected to appear before the Hatfield Magistrate’s Court on Monday, 12 October.
The police account differs significantly from Chirwa’s version, which centres on her allegation that she was denied a service and assaulted when she challenged the officer’s conduct.
The allegations against both parties remain matters for investigation. An arrest or accusation does not, by itself, establish guilt.
‘An all too familiar experience for many South Africans’
Chirwa also used the incident to raise broader concerns about how members of the public are treated when seeking services from state institutions.
She said she was particularly troubled by what she described as being turned away when she requested assistance, only to receive the same service later at the same police station.
“It is also very telling that the very same service I was being denied of at 17:00 at Brooklyn Police Station, I received on the same day close to midnight at the same police station. A clear demonstration that I was merely being frustrated,” she said.
She added that the experience reflected a problem that many South Africans encounter when dealing with public institutions.
“An all too familiar experience for many South Africans,” she said.
Chirwa argued that people should not have to struggle to access services to which they are legally entitled, particularly when dealing with institutions responsible for protecting their rights.
“I detest refusal of services with every fibre of my being. Too many people have wallowed in hopelessness due to being turned back for their basic human rights that they are entitled to. This must not be normalised,” she said.
She also called for accountability from public servants, regardless of their rank or social standing.
“And no matter your rank, your position in society or your bank balance, when you serve the people, you must do so with humility, respect and compassion. If these are too much an ask, then you’re not meant to be a public servant,” she said.
Chirwa says she wants the law to take its course
Despite the controversy surrounding her arrest and the allegations against the police officer, Chirwa said she welcomed the prospect of the matter being resolved through the legal system.
“I am more than pleased that the law will now take its course. Lies have short legs and truth stands the test of time,” she said.
The case places the conduct of both the police officer and the politician under scrutiny. Investigators will need to establish what happened during the confrontation, including the circumstances surrounding the alleged assault, the arrest and Chirwa’s subsequent complaint.
The matter also comes amid continuing public concern about police accountability and the treatment of people who seek assistance at police stations.
Economy
The Scorpion Kings’ burgers are all sold out, but the Scorpion Kings Live are back tonight on SABC 1
Before DJ Maphorisa and Kabza De Small were filling FNB Stadium with Amapiano, there was the hustle – and for Maphorisa, part of that hustle involved food.
Long before the Scorpion Kings name became synonymous with some of South Africa’s biggest musical moments, Maphorisa was finding different ways to make money while pursuing his music career.
“I used to deejay on weekends and I opened a tuck-shop at home just to have a cash flow and at school I used to sell sweets and lollipops,” Maphorisa said.
He explained that the money helped him save for his first car and travel between Pretoria and Johannesburg while working towards his music career.
So, years later, seeing the producer put his name to a burger collaboration feels like a rather delicious full-circle moment.
The Scorpion Kings – Maphorisa and Kabza De Small – teamed up with RocoMamas in September for the limited-edition King’s Feast, a menu inspired by their personalities, their music and plenty of South African flavour.
The collaboration ran until 30 September, meaning the burgers have now officially left the menu – but having tasted them, there is plenty to talk about.
Madumane Double – big, saucy and properly Mzansi
The DJ Maphorisa-inspired Madumane Double did not arrive quietly.
The burger featured a 200g double beef smash, chakalaka, chorizo and cheese, all packed into a brioche bun. RocoMamas positioned it as the “main drop” of the collaboration.
The first bite was very much about the beef, but then the chakalaka came through with that familiar South African kick.
Spicy, savoury and gloriously messy, it was the sort of burger that requires you to abandon any plans of eating neatly.
And there was something particularly kasi about that combination.
Chakalaka was not there as a gimmick. It gave the burger a distinctly South African personality, taking the familiar smashburger format and throwing in a flavour many Mzansi households know very well.
RocoMamas described the collaboration as burgers built by the two artists “the way they build a track – layer on layer until it hits.”
That description actually makes sense.
Papta Sting brings the heat
Then came Kabza De Small’s Papta Sting – and this one was for the spice chaser.
The burger combined southern-fried chicken with atchar and jalapeños on a brioche bun. RocoMamas summed it up neatly: “Sweet on the way in, sting on the way out.”
And that is pretty much the assignment.
The chicken brings the crunch, the atchar delivers that sweet-sour South African flavour, and then the jalapeño arrives with a little extra attitude.
It is the kind of burger that makes you pause after the first bite and ask yourself whether you really want another one.
Naturally, you do.
Kabza’s association with the burger also made sense because the collaboration was built around flavours that feel familiar to South African palates rather than trying too hard to reinvent the wheel.
It tasted like the kasi – with a RocoMamas twist
The King’s Feast was at its most interesting when it leaned into flavours that South Africans already know.
Chakalaka. Atchar. Pap balls. Big portions. Messy eating. Food made for sharing.
RocoMamas itself described the campaign as being inspired by the “grootmans of the yanos”, while its promotional material leaned heavily into the idea of bringing South African flavour to the menu.
That made the collaboration feel like more than simply putting two famous names on burgers.
Amapiano has always been closely connected to place, community, language, fashion, dance and everyday South African life. The King’s Feast borrowed from that same cultural vocabulary and put it on a plate.
And yes, chakalaka on a burger works.
There, we said it.
The timing was perfect
The RocoMamas collaboration formed part of the build-up to Scorpion Kings Live at FNB Stadium on 19 September.
RocoMamas was an official activation partner for the massive concert, alongside brands including SABC1, which was the official broadcast partner.
The King’s Feast was available throughout September before ending on 30 September.
So if you were planning to rush to RocoMamas today for a Madumane Double or Papta Sting, unfortunately, you have missed the boat – or in this case, the burger.
But there is another Scorpion Kings moment waiting tonight.
From the burger to the big screen
Scorpion Kings Live is making its television debut on SABC1 today, Saturday, 3 October, at 20:00.
The concert, which was staged at FNB Stadium on 19 September, will be broadcast for the first time on television, with a simultaneous broadcast on SABC Plus. SABC1 confirmed the broadcast as part of its partnership with the event.
For viewers who were not inside FNB Stadium, tonight is the chance to experience the scale of the show from home.
SABC Video Entertainment Marketing Manager Dichaba Phalatse described the concert as “more than a concert” and “a defining South African cultural moment”, saying SABC1 wanted to bring the energy of FNB Stadium to audiences across the country.
The Scorpion Kings themselves said: “Scorpion Kings Live was too special to be experienced for one night only.”
They added: “Now, for the first time, people across South Africa can relive that experience from wherever they are.”
And that is where the RocoMamas collaboration comes full circle.
The burgers may have disappeared from the menu, but the music is still very much on.
So, what was the foodie verdict?
The Madumane Double was the heavyweight – beefy, saucy, cheesy and carrying enough chakalaka to remind you that this was never meant to be just another burger.
The Papta Sting was the cheekier one – crispy chicken, atchar and jalapeño bringing the sweet-and-sting combination promised in the name.
Neither needed to pretend to be fine dining.
They were burgers.
Big, messy, youthful burgers with a distinctly South African accent.
And perhaps that was the point.
Maphorisa went from selling sweets and running a tuck shop to becoming one of the biggest names in Amapiano. Now his name has been attached to a burger loaded with chakalaka.
Not a bad journey.
The King’s Feast may have left RocoMamas on 30 September, but the Scorpion Kings are back on screen tonight.
So get your snacks sorted, turn up the volume and settle in for FNB Stadium from your sofa.
Just don’t blame us if watching Kabza and Maphorisa perform makes you hungry.
That part is on you.
