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The Democratic Alliance (DA) will ask the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) to investigate the wrongful arrest of Sunday Times journalist, Mzilikazi wa Afrika. For the second time since his arrest outside Avusa headquarters, The National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) has today stated that charges against Mr. Wa Afrika will be formally withdrawn, due to insufficient evidence.

If there was insufficient evidence for prosecution, why was Wa Afrika arrested in the first place? The impression is left that this arrest was intended to send a clear and unequivocal message: if you publish unflattering reports about government officials, you can expect harassment and intimidation from the state.

By saying that they will now investigate the matter further, the Police have all but admitted that they did not investigate the matter sufficiently before the arrest. After the Hawks insistence to bring the charges to the court again, the NPA made a staggering announcement today: Mr. Wa Afrika was arrested and charged without the matter being properly investigated at all. The NPA stated that "it is desirable that the matter be fully investigated prior to taking a decision on whether or not to prosecute...we therefore deem it appropriate that the charges be provisionally withdrawn".

The DA immediately raised questions when Mr. Wa Afrika was first arrested and continued to do so when prosecutors first dropped the charges due to a lack of evidence. Today we are left with one central question: were there ever really any grounds for arresting Mr. Wa Afrika? I will be asking my colleague in the National Assembly and the DA's shadow Minister of Police, Dianne Kohler Barnard, MP to report this matter to the police watchdog, the Independent Complaints Directorate, for a full investigation.