Category Archives: Glen Nayager

Abahlali baseMjondolo Takes the Minister of Police to Court to Account for Police Repression in Durban

4 December 2012
Abahlali baseMjondolo Press Statement

Abahlali baseMjondolo Takes the Minister of Police to Court to Account for Police Repression in Durban

On the 12th of September 2006 S'bu Zikode and Philani Zungu, then the chairperson and deputy chairperson of Abahlali baseMjondolo, were arrested on their way to a radio interview and subject to severe assault in the Sydenham Police Station. When people in the nearby Kennedy Road shack settlement rallied in support of Zikode and Zungu they were attacked by the police and Nondumiso Mke was shot in her knee with live ammunition. The arrest and assault from police at the hands of the police was highly politicised and followed intimidation from senior politicians that including a warning that the movement must stop its communication with the media. For background to this see the statement online at http://abahlali.org//////node/72

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Independent on Saturday: Colleagues hail top officer’s arrest

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http://www.independentonsaturday.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5388745

Colleagues hail top officer’s arrest

March 13, 2010 Edition 1

Fiona Gounden

SOON after the arrest of Sydenham police station commander Senior Superintendent Glen Nayager, members of his station were “victorious” and said it “was about time” that he was made to answer for his “wrongdoings”.

His colleagues gathered outside the station soon after they heard the news that Nayager had been arrested by the Hawks, the Saps crime fighting unit, on Wednesday, for allegedly being in possession of dockets, including one in which he is facing a charge of assault.

He was arrested at police offices in Isipingo and appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court. He was released on R2 000 bail and the case was adjourned to April 16.

Hawks spokesman Musa Zondi said they were gathering information for the next court appearance on three counts of defeating and obstructing the course of justice. “We believe there was an intention on his part to hide those dockets, and in the process defeating and obstructing the course of justice.”

Minutes after his arrest, the mood at the station was jovial as officers gathered and laughed at the news of his arrests. Some even commented: “Glen Nayager, who’s that? We’ve never heard of him.”

A police captain said: “We are indeed glad that a high-profile team such as the Hawks have caught up with him, and there’s no buying them off.”

Meanwhile, the SAPS would institute internal disciplinary action against him, said Superintendent Vincent Mdunge.

Mercury: Hawks swoop on top officer

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http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=3741109

commander allegedly hid dockets
Hawks swoop on top officer

March 11, 2010 Edition 1

NOMPUMELELO MAGWAZA & KAMINI PADAYACHEE

AN EMBATTLED Durban police station commander was arrested by the Hawks yesterday for allegedly being in possession of case dockets – including one in which he is facing a charge of assault.

Sydenham Senior Superintendent Glen Nayager’s arrest came after he secured victories in the labour and equality courts, and in an internal disciplinary hearing in recent weeks.

He was arrested at police offices in Isipingo and appeared in the Pinetown Magistrate’s Court yesterday afternoon.

He was released on R2 000 bail and the case was adjourned to April 16.

It is alleged Nayager hid the dockets so that the cases could not be investigated and taken to court.

Hawks spokesman Musa Zondi said the commander had been charged with three counts of defeating and obstructing the course of justice.

Nayager’s lawyer, Anand Nepaul, said the charges related to allegations that he was in possession of three dockets kept in a safe at the Sydenham police station.

These related to a drug charge, an assault charge against Nayager and also to a contempt of court charge.

Nayager, who is on leave, has been involved in several cases in the past few years and recently won two Labour Court cases in which his transfers to KwaMashu and to the Brighton Beach police stations were declared unlawful.

His transfers came after he was allegedly involved in a fistfight with a fellow officer at his station last year.

After an internal investigation into the incident, he was transferred to KwaMashu and the other officer was sent to Greenwood Park.

Nayager opposed his transfer, and the provincial commissioner’s decision was overturned by the court on the grounds that correct procedures had not been followed, and he returned to Sydenham.

Last month Nayager was transferred to Brighton Beach after he was accused of interfering with a witness in the Labour Court case.

He opposed the transfer in the Labour Court and Judge Hamilton Cele last week ordered his immediate reinstatement at Sydenham.

He also ordered the Police Ministry and provincial police commissioner to pay his legal fees.

The police are expected to appeal against that decision.

And yesterday, an internal disciplinary inquiry found Nayager not guilty of misconduct relating to the assault on the officer.

He also won an Equality Court case last week, which related to a complaint that he had used a racial slur against a teacher in October 2007.

Stanley Bongani Mathonsi alleged Nayager had directed racist remarks at him when he went to the Sydenham police station with a friend.

The case was dismissed by magistrate John Saunders, who said Mathonsi’s version of events was improbable.

Nayager and his police officers have often been criticised for alleged heavy-handed action in dealing with residents of the Kennedy Road informal settlement, which falls within the Sydenham policing precinct.

All Charges Against the Kennedy 6 Dropped


Five of the Kennedy 6 – the picture was taken on 13 April 2007 after their release on bail after 23 days in prison and 14 days on hunger strike

Yesterday all charges against the Kennedy 6 were dropped just over a year after the men were first arrested.

The basic chronology of events is as follows:

The Kennedy 6 were arrested on a clearly trumped up murder charge on 21 March 2007 after a well known criminal who had previously been apprehended in the settlement and handed over to the police died in police custody. While in custody they were assaulted and an attempt was made, by Senior Superintendent Glen Nayager, to force them to chant anti-Abahlali slogans. They refused.

On 31 March, after ten days in detention, they began a hunger strike in Westville prison. While in prison they were visited by Bishop Reuben Phillip.

On 10 April 2007 Abahlali attempted to march on the Sydenham Police Station. This march was illegally banned by a diktat from City Manager Mike Sutcliffe but, after a tense stand off, 14 people presented the memorandum to Nayager.

On 13 April 2007, after 23 days in prison and 14 days on hunger strike the Kennedy 6 were released on bail of R5 000 per person and under a de facto apartheid style banning order confining them to rural areas of origin.

On 24 May 2007 the banning order was overturned in a court challenge and they could return home.

On 27 March 2008 all charges against the 6 were dropped before the scheduled trial could begin due to a complete lack of any evidence against them.

Yesterday's vindication of Abahlali's insistence that the charges against the 6 were trumped up by Glen Nayager as an attack on the movement means that, without exception, the state has not attempted to prosecute a single one of the many Abahlali baseMjondolo members who have been arrested (and very often assaulted) by the police over the years. Arrest is being systematically abused as a form of extra-judicial punishment for lawful political activities.

A full press release will be discussed, written and issued soon, this is just to get the good news out quickly. The Kennedy 6 would like to express their gratitude to their lawyer Terrance Seery, to Bishop Reuben Philip and everyone in Durban and around the country and around the world who has offered support.

Abahlali stands in full solidarity with Philani Zungu and the comrades from Tongaat who were assaulted and arrested last weekend. They are all facing charges related to connecting electricity. Of course no one is being held to account for the relentless plague of fires that are directly consequent to the refusal of the municipality to electrify shack settlements and, in some instances, the active withdrawal of existing connections. A hundred shacks burnt in New Germany last night.

In the meantime any queries can be directed to S'bu Zikode at 0835470474.