Cop: You whites must f*** off

2008-11-06 22:50

Gloria Edwards

Johannesburg - "It's time you whites packed your bags and fucked off."

With these words a black police inspector from Tembisa on the East Rand allegedly scolded the victims of an armed robbery and hijacking attempt in Kempton Park on Monday night.

This officer, whose name is known to Beeld, apparently refused to arrest a black suspect on the scene.

He also refused to open a case after Nic Lubbe, 51, from Kempton Park West, his daughter, Antoenet Cronjé, and her two sons, Morné, 11, and Kyle, 3, were assailed by robbers on Monday night.

'White dogs'

He ostensibly also refused to allow white members of the Norkem Park police to search the suspects' car and called them "white dogs".

Lubbe said he was on his way to drop off his daughter and grandchildren at their house in Terrenure at about 23:00 when he saw a grey Corsa bakkie next to the road in Orange River Street.

Suddenly the Corsa bakkie's headlights went on to blind Lubbe. Then it was driven into Lubbe's bakkie from behind.

Three armed men jumped off the back and grabbed Cronjé's handbag.

Lubbe sped away and later returned to the scene with his wife, Mara, 49, and members of the Norkem Park police office.

A black inspector from the Tembisa roadblock task team was already there with one of the suspects (the driver of the Corsa). The other three got away.

"The inspector said we were white dogs and he told a white policewoman that he would see to it that she was shot dead in a robbery.

"Then he cocked his R5 (rifle) in my face and said it was time that we whites packed our bags and fucked off out of the country."

An eyewitness apparently heard the inspector's offensive remarks.

"I saw how these people were robbed, but he protected the criminal."

The inspector apparently did open an accident report. The Corsa driver's wife then arrived on the scene, posing as a police officer.

One of the Norkem Park police officers said this woman wanted to arrest them when they tried to search the Corsa for "interfering with the scene".

Lubbe said the woman emptied out the contents of his daughter's handbag and returned the empty handbag to her.

On Tuesday Lubbe opened a case of armed robbery and attempted hijacking at the Norkem Park police.

Gauteng police spokesperson Superintendent Eugene Opperman said the matter was being investigated "with the view to possible disciplinary steps."

The Tembisa and provincial police management have expressed their shock at the alleged incident, he said.

- Beeld