A woman who was arrested after taking selfies in Sea Point, Cape Town, has confirmed she met with lawyers on Friday and plans to sue the police for wrongful arrest.

Esethu Mcinjana said she was sitting on a bench on the promenade waiting for a job interview at a nearby hotel on May 19, when she was approached by two police officers.

“They asked what I was doing there and then started searching my bag,” Mcinjana recalled.

READ: ‘I feel violated and angry’: Woman, who was taking selfies while sitting on a bench in Sea Point, arrested

The police officers found a house key and a gate remote, along with her curriculum vitae.

She was later arrested, allegedly as a suspect in a string of car robberies in the area.

The 23-year-old was forced to spend a night in jail, despite protesting her innocence. 

“I couldn’t even sleep, I was crying the whole night”

“It was so cold, I had five or six blankets on me,” Mcinjana said. “I couldn’t even sleep, I was crying the whole night.”

Mcinjana told News24 she had been looking for work for months and missed out on her chance at employment due to the incident.

“There is a certain company that is helping me at the moment, they’re going to help me to sue the state,” she said.

“I’m just hoping to get justice, that’s all. I didn’t commit any crime…”

Sea Point police spokesperson, Captain Elizabeth Munro, told GroundUp Mcinjana had been found to be in possession of “vehicle breaking implements”, but said there were “no prospects of successful prosecution as discussed with the senior prosecutor”.

GroundUp has since reported that the hotel confirmed with police on Sunday that Mcinjana had an appointment for an interview. She was still kept overnight, and attempts to get further comment were unsuccessful.

The Western Cape Police Ombudsman was unaware of the case and has asked for Mcinjana to lodge a complaint.

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