PAC butt heads with cops over use of teargas, rubber bullets during protest
Johannesburg - The West Rand leadership of the Pan Africanist Congress of Azania is at loggerheads with local police in Kagiso over the use of teargas and rubber bullets during a protest last week.
The party alleges that officers at the station refused to help members to open a case of “unlawful use of firearms on unarmed citizens”.
A PAC member was reportedly intimidated and threatened by constables at the station, despite sustaining injuries to his elbow and back when they were allegedly shot at by police during the protest.
Members of the PAC went on a protest march in the township last Friday to demand the land back.
The party’s regional treasurer, Lazarus Mokwena, said Kagiso police shot at them “unprovoked, and later denied them the right to lay a charge” at the police station.
“On Friday, the PAC West Rand leadership went to Kagiso police station to open a case of unlawful use of force on unarmed civilians but didn’t succeed. I called a Brigadier Maduna since he was not at the station at the time and instructed a Colonel Maseloane to assist us and he refused, saying it’s above him.”
Mokwena said they had set up an appointment for Monday with the police management, but it did not materialise. “We made a follow-up on Tuesday and we still could not be assisted. Instead, they threatened us and made us aware of a case opened against us.”
The party has since escalated the matter to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
The Star has seen a letter from the investigative unit’s senior investigator instructing the station commander to assist the party with opening the case.
“Kindly interview the complainant further and assist the injured community members in opening a case,” the Ipid letter says in part.
The letter also states that once the case has been opened, Ipid should be contacted for collection of the docket.
However, Mokwena said the police refused to help them to open a case on Wednesday despite issuing them with the letter from Ipid.
“Unfortunately, our police have failed us with the basics of service delivery. We will have to go back to Ipid and hope that something can be done,” he said.
Asked for comment, police spokesperson Kay Makhubele referred the media to Ipid. Efforts to contact Ipid were unsuccessful.
The Star
Thu, 24 Dec 2020 07:36:12 GMTGift Tlou
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