…By Roland Peterson for TDPel Media.
Legal Application to Declare Arrest and Deportation Wrongful
The Department of Home Affairs asserts the lawfulness of celebrity doctor Nandipha Magudumana’s arrest in Arusha and disputes her claim of abduction, as stated in her legal papers.
Magudumana’s legal team filed an urgent court application in the Bloemfontein High Court, aiming to declare her arrest and subsequent deportation as wrongful and unlawful.
The court will address the matter on Thursday, 25 May.
Request to Set Aside Criminal Proceedings and Discharge from Custody
Magudumana’s application also seeks to undo her apprehension, arrest, and abduction in Arusha, Tanzania, on 7 April, along with her transportation to South Africa and subsequent local arrest.
Additionally, she requests the court to set aside the ongoing criminal proceedings against her in the Bloemfontein Magistrate’s Court and seeks discharge from the custody of the Department of Correctional Services (DCS).
Home Affairs Responds to Media Reports
The Director-General of the Department of Home Affairs, Aaron Motsoaledi, addressed the media and refuted the allegations made by Magudumana.
He stated that both Magudumana and another individual named Bester were declared prohibited immigrants in Tanzania and were given three days to leave the country, making them liable for deportation to their respective countries of origin.
Motsoaledi expressed surprise that the Department of Home Affairs and himself were not named as respondents in the court papers and revealed that he promptly sent a letter objecting to this omission.
He demanded that the ill-advised application be removed from the urgent court roll.
Furthermore, Motsoaledi disclosed the department’s intention to revoke Magudumana’s passport.