Arthur Davies Sikopo, a correspondent with the South African Broadcasting Corporation (SABC), recently experienced an incident where he was summoned to police headquarters, and his equipment, including his phone, was confiscated for investigative purposes.
Upon reaching out to Mr. Sikopo, he confirmed the incident, stating that on dates yet to be confirmed, he received a phone call from Police Headquarters, instructing him to appear for questioning related to an ongoing police investigation.
During the questioning, the police insisted that he surrender his phone as they were investigating individuals with whom Mr. Sikopo had been in contact. Faced with the threat of arrest for non-compliance, he engaged in a lengthy conversation with the police, who eventually issued him a 2-hour ultimatum to surrender his phone. Mr. Sikopo was allowed to leave and return with a different phone.
Following the incident, he sought legal counsel from his lawyer who has been representing him in this matter. Mr. Sikopo surrendered a phone to the police, which remained in their custody for three weeks before being returned to him.