A recent court judgement dealing with brutality at the hands of law enforcement during the lockdown placed the Independent Police Investigative Directorate and the office of the military ombudsman under serious scrutiny.

In the judgement, Judge Hans Fabricius stated that the conduct of a number of law enforcement officers, and the failure of the state to adequately investigate them, is violating Article 12 of the Torture Convention.

Since President Ramaphosa encouraged the military, police, and other law enforcement officers to “protect the people of South Africa’, numerous corruption and brutality charges have been reported by citizens of the country.

Cases open for investigation at the moment include allegations of misconduct or violations of lockdown regulations, mishandling children, and the use of unnecessary punishment tactics while enforcing lockdown restrictions.

The latest case under investigation involves a jogger in Strand.

Over to IOL:

An investigation into the conduct of police officers captured in a video effecting an arrest of a woman in Strand on Friday (May 22) morning has been ordered by Western Cape Provincial Police Commissioner Yolisa Matakata.

The video shows police officers talking to the woman before arresting her:

An eyewitness describes the circumstances of the arrest:

“This morning just after 8am [Friday, May 22], there was a lady being carried by the police. I think it was about three or four police officers, and they were pulling her by her arms and legs. They just threw her like a hardened criminal into the van.”

In the case of the dog walker arrested in Three Anchor Bay back in April, it was clear she was breaking the lockdown regulations.

Here, however, the woman was exercising within the prescribed hours, within a five-kilometre radius of her home, and was wearing a mask.

Murray Williams, who unpacked various elements of the incident on Twitter, interviewed a member of the legal firm that worked to secure the woman’s release:

UPDATE 6:

We speak to the legal firm that acted fast today to free the woman forcibly arrested in the Strand.

It is revealed the incident was witnessed first-hand by a man with extensive police experience – who later described the arrest as unacceptable. pic.twitter.com/MOsbWWy9kH

— MURRAY WILLIAMS (@MurrayRSA) May 22, 2020

Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa says that the officers in the video are being interviewed, and the reasons for the arrest are still under investigation.

She states further that when the woman arrived at the Strand police station, she was released because there was no cause to charge her.

“As the investigation into the conduct of these police officials progresses, police members are cautioned about regard for the rights other persons,” she said, adding that courtesy, fairness and treating all persons with dignity was part of police training and orientation.

Clearly, some members of the police force didn’t make it to training that day.

The case is still under investigation, alongside a host of other cases.

[source:iol]