Cops arrest Blue Bull star

2008-10-19 08:17

Pretoria - John Mametsa, right wing for the Blue Bulls was arrested and assaulted by traffic police - apparently because he questioned their brutal behaviour towards a young teammate outside a Pretoria coffee shop.

He was held for seven hours in the Brooklyn police station cells and only released on Saturday morning on bail of R500.

Mametsa, 25, who played his 100th game for the Bulls, left his cell with a bloody shirt due to a cut wound to his head.

On Friday night, he saw an accident and recognised the couple. The car of Fudge Mbeta, who played for the Bulls this year and his girlfriend, the daughter of police commissioner Ray Lalla, the police's national head of crime intelligence, drove into the car of provincial traffic officials. Mbeta is the son of a diplomat currently overseas.

Ettienne Smit, co-owner of the coffee shop Cofi where Mametsa was eating, said Mametsa wanted to hear why Mbeta was pushed against the car and searched after a light collision. An argument ensued. A traffic official slapped Mametsa while another cuffed him and pushed him into a police car.

Smit wanted to hear why Mametsa was being arrested. "They were arrogant and very aggressive and said I would be arrested too if I didn't go away." Police said they were investigating the incident.

- Rapport