Sjambokked and slapped by cops: Investigation launched by Western Cape police

A senior police officer is leading an investigation into the alleged assault of two men caught on video footage in Worcester, Western Cape. 

Three officers, two male and one female, are seen in the video confronting two men.

One of the male officers puts a sjambok in his back pocket while he searches a man whose hands are held up against a police van.

The other man appears to receive a few slaps from the female officer and to drink something. The other male officer drags him, grabs the sjambok from his colleague’s pocket and starts beating him with it.

The first suspect is simultaneously being slapped by the officer who had the sjambok in his pocket.

Police spokesperson Brig Novela Potelwa said an investigation into the incident is being led by the Worcester cluster commander, Maj-Gen Nomthetheleli Mene. She said the incident was seen in a serious light by the police.

“The beating  and manhandling of individuals and/or suspects is against departmental directives and prescripts that govern the handling of persons by police officials. In addition, the use of a sjambok by police officials is not only forbidden but unlawful,” said Potelwa.

Preliminary findings have revealed the incident occurred in Worcester near an industrial area on Monday.

The police vehicle in the video belongs to Ceres police station but is being used by a police unit in Worcester.

The police officials captured in the video have been identified and are employees attached to a unit in Worcester. The two men are yet to be identified and interviewed as part of the investigation, said Potelwa.

“Further investigation into the matter is expected to also shed light on what happened prior to the recording commencing.

“A plea is made for space to be given for the sanctioned investigation to unfold and be finalised. Speculation about what happened, including the disclosure of names of the police officials involved, would, at this stage of the investigation, be detrimental to the investigation.”

Regarding another recent incident in the Western Cape, Potelwa said an internal police inquiry into what transpired at the Bellville SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) office last  Friday, when police used water cannons on people standing in a long queue, is under way.

In addition, “Western Cape police management met Sassa leadership in the province on Monday in a bid to resolve challenges that relate to large crowds of people converging in long queues at some Sassa offices in the Western Cape.”

TimesLIVE