The Inkatha Freedom Party challenges the SAPS to provide a detailed plan to combat police brutality after 3 KwaZulu-Natal police officers have been arrested for the alleged torture and murder of a man in police custody.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) said that they had arrested one police officer from the Muden detectives and two from Greytown Crime Intelligence for murder, defeating the ends of justice and assault.
Surely, there needs to be more accountability and transparency around how SAPS officers run their operations when people are held in custody. It cannot be that we see videos on television or social media which go viral and yet SAPS fails to answer pertinent questions around these matters.
Police officers are public servants – they are supposed to keep the public safe. The loss of life that has occurred at the hands of an uncaring police has escalated to where unarmed individuals are being killed. The mechanisms that have been put in place have all failed and the escalation of police brutality is evidence of that failure.
We seek answers and action from the KZN MEC for Community Safety, Mxolisi Kaunda and the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele. As chief law enforcers and when violation of laws is rampant, and unabated, they have a sworn duty to respond to those violations. Law enforcement across the country has abused the authority vested in them, and have violated on continual basis the law itself but no action has been taken to address this scourge.
The IFP is of the view that those guilty of brutality and lack of discipline cannot be allowed to tarnish the good work being done by some police officers, often under very trying circumstances. Police leadership must ensure that appropriate action is taken against each police official where evidence of misconduct is available.
Issued by:
Mr Blessed Gwala MPL
IFP KZN Provincial Spokesperson on Community Safety and Liaison
078 290 5842
