Cape Town - A Public Order Police officer, who was
identified as one of the white-shirted men deployed during the State of the
Nation address in Parliament on Thursday night, fears me may be fired after he
became the "face" of the heavy-handed police action against EFF MPs.
Netwerk24 reported on Monday that Captain Walter Prins, 43,
said he was merely carrying out his orders, but could not say who gave those
orders. He now fears he's become a scapegoat.
The Daily Maverick reported over the weekend that Prins
appeared to have played a leading role in forcibly removing EFF leader Julius
Malema and other MPs from the National Assembly. He was identified from his "high
risk" designated security pass.
Boasts
Prins reportedly boasted on his Facebook page about the
"hunt for Juju [Malema]".
Speaking to Netwerk24, Prins said the Facebook posts were
just jokes he shared with colleagues, and now these are being used against him.
He added that everybody was angry with him - from his colleagues
to his wife and children - and that his life has been turned upside down. He
has not left his house as he fears for his life.
He also denied assaulting any EFF members, but photographs
show him grappling with Malema and Floyd Shivambu.
For more on the State of the Nation address, click here.
