Pretoria - The Gauteng businesswoman accused of instigating the July 2021 unrest has been handed back all her gadgets after threatening court action.
Last week the Pretoria News reported that the 36-year-old, known as Sphithiphithi Evaluator on social media had demanded, through her lawyer, Godrich Gardee, that law enforcement return her cellphone or face court action.
Evaluator, who's real name is known to Pretoria News claimed that about 10 plain clothed police officers last year stormed into her house in Ekurrhuleni and confiscated about 20 of her communication gadgets including that of her children before arresting her.
The items included cellphones, laptops, memory sticks and i-pads.
The police had returned 19 of the 20 gadgets except her personal cellphone and SIM card prompting her to turn to her lawyer to write a letter demanding the return of her phone by April 11.
Speaking to Pretoria News on Thursday, Evaluator said she was relieved that her cellphone was returned to her home on Wednesday afternoon but questioned why the items were confiscated in the first place
"I feel relieved even though there were no substantial reasons given to seize all 20 gadgets in the first place.
"Why were items like WiFi routers, memory sticks, laptops and other phones not belonging to me seized?"
She said even though all the gadgets were returned to her fully functional. She was not sure if they were bugged or had been installed with spy software.
"I have handed the gadgets in to be checked for any bugs or unknown software," she said.
Although all her gadgets were returned Evaluator vowed to continue with court action, suing the police for millions after she was allegedly arrested unlawfully, kept inside a dark cell for two days and forced to reveal the pin codes of her electronic devices.
She is suing for loss of income, trauma and public humiliation among others.
The mother of two from Ekurhuleni in Gauteng, who has been critical of President Cyril Ramaphosa on social media, was charged with incitement to public violence following the unrest which erupted in KwaZulu-Natal and parts of Gauteng in response to the arrest of former president Jacob Zuma.
She added: "The state will be sued, Minister of Police (Bheki Cele) in his personal defamation and any publications/ journalists that reported false information about "Sphithiphithi Evaluator" and revealed sensitive information that violated my rights that are protected by the Constitution."
Pretoria News