Anger over 'shoot to kill cops'
2008-11-03 10:38
Badplaas - Badplaas police have asked the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) for help after accusing an ANC councillor and member of the Young Communist League (YCL) of inciting their members to "shoot to kill" police officers.
The threat was reportedly made at a Young Communist League (YCL) meeting in Badplaas on October 18 where a memorandum protesting against alleged racism at the Badplaas police station was handed over to station management.
Badplaas police commissioner Charles Marivate said the police had been compelled to ask the SAHRC for protection after YCL secretary Sibusiso Radebe and ANC councillor in the Albert Luthuli local municipality Pro Khoza had explicitly threatened local officers with physical harm.
"I myself was threatened that if I supported my white officers, I would be out of the window. The threats against the other officers were worse," said Marivate.
'Days are numbered'
Two of those targeted by the YCL are deputy inspector Jacobus Vermeulen and Inspector Lucas van Rooyen, who were singled out by name at a large public meeting and told that there "days are numbered".
"During the gathering, the secretary of the YCL started to swear at the station commissioner and other police members, accusing us of not doing our jobs. In front of everyone present, he pointed fingers at Vermeulen and myself, saying our days were numbered because we are racists," said Van Rooyen.
Van Rooyen added that Radebe and Khoza also told the community that white policemen "gaan kak" (will shit) and that "julle broeke gaan vol kak wees" (your pants will be full of shit).
"This incitement needs to be investigated and be stopped. Khoza has only a handful of followers and is disrupting the community's peaceful existence. He also incites attacks on other members of the community," Van Rooyen said.
The two officers' black colleagues agree, with 23 policemen from the Badplaas station signing a petition to the SAHRC asking for an urgent investigation and possible charges against Radebe and Khoza.
The office of acting Mpumalanga police commissioner Rex Machabi has also been asked to do a full scale investigation into the matter.
Police officers 'really racist'
Radebe said the police officers were welcome to complain to the SAHRC.
"These guys are really racist," he said. "We did not say the [ANC Youth League President Julius] Malema thing [shoot to kill]. We only said that we were prepared to lay down our lives for the pre-dominantly farm worker community in Badplaas because they are ill-treated and the police are failing to investigate their cases," he explained.
Radebe said that if white residents of Badplaas did not stop being racist and ill-treating farm workers, "daar gaan kak wees" (there will be shit).
Khoza, denied all the accusations made by the police, but agreed with Radebe that there were racist attitudes towards farm workers in Badplaas.
"There is more going on in Badplaas than what the police are telling you. Someday the truth will come out. I did not say any inciting statements against them, but I would like to appeal for them to take cases of our people seriously," said Khoza.
Complaints 'taken seriously'
The YCL memorandum complains that cases reported by black people against whites were not taken seriously and not investigated properly. They also accuse the station commissioner of calling Khoza stupid.
The YCL demands that all racism related cases be investigated by provincial instead of local police to prevent bias.
He said his officers took all reported cases seriously.
"We take all cases reported to us seriously. And, yes, we do get cases of suspected racism reported by farm workers, but our people should understand that we work with evidence and not speculation. If there is no evidence then there is no case," Commissioner Marivate explained.
He said he would not be threatened by anyone who tried to tell him how to treat his staff.
"I was not appointed at the police station by the community members, but by the provincial commissioner. He is the only one who can remove me," he said.
Intimidation
Spokesperson for the provincial police commissioner's office, Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi, said a case of intimidation against Radebe and Khoza is being investigated.
"We are taking these threats seriously and we will investigate this matter to the end. Members of the public should know that there are proper channels that should be followed when they have complaints against the police, it is not right to make intimidating statements like "shoot to kill"," said Nkosi.
Legal officer at the SAHRC in Mpumalanga, Bafana Ngwenya, said they have not yet seen the complaint.
"We think that the complaint might have been sent to our head office in Johannesburg, and we will investigate and respond to it as soon as head office refers it to us," said Ngwenya.