Opinion / Columnist
Police brutality snaring the public
15 Oct 2018 at 14:05hrs | Views
In the colonial era the mases faced a lot of police brutality primarily due to the racial factor. One would have thought in this new democratic era the narrative would have changed rather the situation is still the same, gruesome, horrific and diabolic.
In 2017 a group of police comprising of 8 personnel brutally assaulted 25 year old Nigerian national Ibrahim Olamilekan Badmus for drug trafficking. During the incarceration period the Nigerian man went through a lot of horrific torture that eventually led to his death thus, according to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate but until now the "police" claim the death came as a result of self-defense.
These are amongst some of the cases that are relatively witnessed by the public on a daily basis. At one time former police minister Fikile Mbalula said that foreigners were the perpetrators of crime in South Africa. An assertion that has been said since South Africa got its independance in 1994 which has relatively caused devastating repercussions especially with regards to foreigners at the merciless hands of the police as documented by well renowned South African scholars such as Crush and Ramachandra.
However, police brutality has nevertheless not spared the local South Africans as evidenced by the Westbury saga which left a woman dead as a result of a stray bullet from a gangster feud, the police in Westbury are said to be hand in glove with the gangsters. South African police have relatively posed a blind eye when it comes to matters of the public. Although current police minister Bheki Cele has vowed to make significant changes the saga still continues of police brutality both directly and indirectly.
Certain police stations in Gauteng like Jeppe police station depict the epitome of brutality where if one goes to seek assistance or make a complaint is rather treated like a suspect rather than a victim. The same applies with the Kempton Park police station where even the waiting area is outside the precinct which relatively means one has to endure whatsoever weather whilst waiting to be attended.
For the public this has relatively made them not to appreciate as w4ll as respect the police as some members of the community now prefer to take matters into their own hands in the event that they encounter any problems which apparently has devastating results in return.
When asked for comment on why the police exhibit such detrimental manners neither the minister of police, Bheki Cele, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni executive mayors Clr Herman Mashaba and Clr Mzwandile Masina could give any meaningful clarity.
In 2017 a group of police comprising of 8 personnel brutally assaulted 25 year old Nigerian national Ibrahim Olamilekan Badmus for drug trafficking. During the incarceration period the Nigerian man went through a lot of horrific torture that eventually led to his death thus, according to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate but until now the "police" claim the death came as a result of self-defense.
These are amongst some of the cases that are relatively witnessed by the public on a daily basis. At one time former police minister Fikile Mbalula said that foreigners were the perpetrators of crime in South Africa. An assertion that has been said since South Africa got its independance in 1994 which has relatively caused devastating repercussions especially with regards to foreigners at the merciless hands of the police as documented by well renowned South African scholars such as Crush and Ramachandra.
However, police brutality has nevertheless not spared the local South Africans as evidenced by the Westbury saga which left a woman dead as a result of a stray bullet from a gangster feud, the police in Westbury are said to be hand in glove with the gangsters. South African police have relatively posed a blind eye when it comes to matters of the public. Although current police minister Bheki Cele has vowed to make significant changes the saga still continues of police brutality both directly and indirectly.
Certain police stations in Gauteng like Jeppe police station depict the epitome of brutality where if one goes to seek assistance or make a complaint is rather treated like a suspect rather than a victim. The same applies with the Kempton Park police station where even the waiting area is outside the precinct which relatively means one has to endure whatsoever weather whilst waiting to be attended.
For the public this has relatively made them not to appreciate as w4ll as respect the police as some members of the community now prefer to take matters into their own hands in the event that they encounter any problems which apparently has devastating results in return.
When asked for comment on why the police exhibit such detrimental manners neither the minister of police, Bheki Cele, Johannesburg and Ekurhuleni executive mayors Clr Herman Mashaba and Clr Mzwandile Masina could give any meaningful clarity.
Source - Daniel Itai
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