Today marks exactly 30 days since former child star Longwe Twala failed to appear at the Randburg Magistrate's Court on charges of theft. The police have failed to locate him but ZiMoja spotted Longwe walking and begging with a group of street kids in Diepkloof, Soweto, despite the magistrate issuing a warrant for his arrest.
HE WON'T DO THE POLICE'S JOB
The Ujol' enext door hitmaker was arrested in September and charged with theft after he allegedly stole from his father, renowned musician and producer Sello 'Chicco' Twala. At the time of the alleged theft, Chicco was in the United States on business.
Like a responsible father to his drug addict son, Chicco went to Diepkloof Police Station to demand answers why the police are failing to arrest Longwe.
"I fail to understand why the police in Diepkloof are failing to arrest Longwe when he is busy roaming the streets. If a warrant of arrest was out for me or any other high-profile person, we would have long been arrested and appeared in the media," he said. Chicco said he went to the police station to demand answers and accused the police of laziness. "I am not going to do the police's job," he said, adding that he feels let down by the state. "It's been a month since Longwe failed to appear in court. Are people from Diepkloof safe because my son is a known drug addict? He may steal again while the police are relaxing and not hunting for him down."
HE ALLEGEDLY STOLE HIS AUNT'S CELLPHONE
When Longwe failed to appear in court on 25 October, it emerged in court that he stole his aunt's two cellphones at her Diepkloof, Zone 4, residence. The court had released Longwe on free bail and placed him under his aunt's supervision. This was after Chicco told the investigating officer that he did not want him to be released to his residence in Fourways. One of the conditions for Longwe's bail conditions was that he had to report at the Diepkloof Police Station at least once a week.
According to Chicco, when Longwe failed to appear in court in October, he had not slept at his aunt's home the previous night.
Chicco has confirmed that Longwe has been struggling to shrug off a drug addiction that started about 20 years ago. He said he has taken him to over 30 rehabilitation centres over the years but nothing has changed. Gauteng police spokesperson Colonel Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi said the docket is still in court, and once it comes back to the station, that is only when the investigating officer can implement the instructions that come with it. But National Prosecuting Authourity Gauteng spokesperson Phindi Mjonondwane contradicted Nevhuhulwi's statement and said dockets are sent back to police stations as soon as a decision is made. "It's returned immediately ,even in instances where we enrolled, after appearance, the investigating officer takes his docket," Mjonondwane said.
