‘They Took My Freedom and My Future’: Tembisa Woman Demands R3 Million After Wrongful Arrest

For most people, a police arrest is something seen in movies, not something that happens to an ordinary woman waiting for a taxi. But for 33-year-old Nomthandazo Cele from Ivory Park, Tembisa, one police raid turned her life upside down.

Cele is now suing Police Minister Bheki Cele and several state departments for more than R3 million, claiming that her wrongful arrest and months-long detention at Kgosi Mampuru Correctional Centre in Pretoria shattered her reputation, cost her her income, and left psychological scars that refuse to heal.

A Police Blunder That Refused to Go Away

Cele’s nightmare began in 2020, when police raided her boyfriend’s rented room in Bronkhorstspruit and found an unlicensed firearm. She insists she wasn’t even inside, she says she was standing outside waiting for transport. Still, she was arrested and detained for nearly three months, even after the actual gun owner handed himself over to police.

While she eventually secured R5,000 bail, the damage was done. The case was later withdrawn, but the system and the stigma, never caught up.

A justice department official, speaking anonymously, admitted that the case was never properly cleared from police databases. To this day, Cele remains flagged as a suspect with a pending case, blocking her from renting or buying vehicles, a key step in a business opportunity she had lined up.

The Human Cost Behind the Numbers

Cele’s legal team is demanding:

• R750,000 for psychological trauma

• R1 million for past and future loss of income

• R500,000 for continued emotional damage

• R1 million for the psychological impact suffered by her mother and sister

Her words cut deep:

“During the time I spent in prison, I suffered emotionally and physically. Nobody was willing to assist me… I had a six-month-old son at home. I was the breadwinner, and they took everything from me.”

Despite never being tried, let alone convicted, she says she is still treated like a criminal.

Public Reaction: ‘How Many More Celes Are Out There?’

On social media, outrage has been swift. Many South Africans, especially Black women, have voiced how common such cases are, calling Cele “one of thousands failed by the system.”

Civil rights activists are demanding deeper accountability, arguing that police negligence shouldn’t just be paid off with taxpayer money, officers involved should face disciplinary or even criminal action.

This Is Bigger Than One Case

Cele’s lawsuit highlights a recurring failure in South Africa’s justice system, once branded a suspect, clearing your name can be harder than serving time.

Clerical errors, missing paperwork, and outdated digital records have left countless people in bureaucratic limbo, unable to work, travel, or even open accounts, despite never being convicted.

And while SAPS spokesperson Brigadier Athlenda Mathe has promised to respond, no official apology or corrective action has been offered.

‘I Want Them Held Accountable’

Cele says this court case isn’t just about money, it’s about restoring dignity.

“Honestly, my case was a matter of negligence. They must be held responsible. They cannot just ruin people’s lives and walk away.”

Her fight is no longer personal, it’s a challenge to the entire criminal justice chain: arrest, prosecution, corrections, data management. If she wins, it may set a powerful precedent for others who were wrongfully detained and forgotten.

South Africans are watching closely. Because this isn’t just Nomthandazo’s fight, it’s a test of whether the state is willing to correct its own mistakes.

And if it isn’t, the courts may have to force its hand.

{Source: The Citizen}

Follow Joburg ETC on Facebook, Twitter , TikTok and Instagram

For more News in Johannesburg, visit joburgetc.com