Inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha will continue

INDEPENDENT NEWSPAPERS

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa File photo: Oupa Mokoena

Cape Town - A commission of inquiry into policing in Khayelitsha, Cape Town, will continue its work pending litigation in the Constitutional Court, it said on Thursday.

Commission secretary Amanda Dissel said it would continue collecting research, expert opinion on the area, statements from the community and other relevant evidence.

Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa was to approach the Constitutional Court over a court ruling against his attempt to stop the commission.

The application would be based on the contents of the minority judgment in his unsuccessful bid to stop the inquiry.

In the majority judgment handed down in the Western Cape High Court last month, it was concluded that Western Cape premier Helen Zille had fully complied with the principles of co-operative government, so the application made by Mthethwa had to be dismissed.

Mthethwa's spokesman Zweli Mnisi said at the time that the minority judgment had that concluded inter-governmental processes had not been fully complied with and would have “ordered the parties to finalise those processes and to report back to the court, so that the court could consider the application again”.

Dissel said the minister and others had served notice of their intention to appeal, but it was not clear whether the matter would be heard in that court or when it would happen.

“The commission has responded by agreeing to abide by any decision of the Constitutional Court.”

The commission would give notice of public hearings in due course.

Community members could make statements about their experience of the police at the commission's office in Khayelitsha every day of the week between 9am and 1pm.

“People are requested to call the office to make an appointment so that their statement can be taken by an advocate,” Dissel said.

Sapa