Vuwani, Limpopo – South African Human Rights Commission officials have been traversing the greater Vuwani area in Limpopo to record allegations of police brutality against residents as part of a crackdown following violent community protests which saw more than 20 schools razed to the ground recently.
Vuwani residents say they are living in fear as police raid villages in pursuit of those suspected of being behind the arson attacks on schools and violence which has made the area a no-go and has seen schooling ground to a halt.
The protests erupted following the Municipal Demarcation Board’s (MDB) decision – subsequently upheld by the courts – to move the area from the Makhado municipality in order to be incorporated under a newly created municipality.
The African News Agency (ANA) has reported recently on allegations of police breaking into the homes of villagers in the middle of the night and allegedly assaulting residents in a bid to root out the suspects behind the wave of violence.
SAHRC regional manager Victor Mavhidula said initial investigations appear to support the allegations of police brutality raised by residents.
“It is shocking and more worrying that most of the victims who were assaulted and crippled by police were refused assistance to open cases by police,” said Mavhidula.
He said some of the victims were apparently shot at close range.
He added that there existed a real fear that evidence against police could disappear.
Residents of Vyeboom, near Vuwani, have complained about torture, vandalism of houses and serious injury at the hands of an out-of-control police force.
Mavhidula said the Human Rights Commission had interviewed a number of people around the allegations.
“We understand that police must maintain law and order, but they should do that within the prescript of the law – not what we are hearing and seeing here,” he said.
Police management had previously urged residents who were attacked by police to approach the local Vuwani police station to raise their concerns with the station commander.
Police have, meanwhile, conceded that Vyeboom was still a dangerous area, and part of the few remaining volatile areas after the recent wave of destruction of property which saw national condemnation and the deployment of senior government ministers to the province in a bid to quell the tensions.
Local South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) leader Nsovo Sambo said the mediation and inter-ministerial team working to bring stability had failed proven to be ineffective.
“Those committees are useless, there is nothing that is going to change until people get what they want, which is to remain under Makhado municipality,” said Sambo.
Twenty two villagers were arrested for public violence following the destruction of more than twenty schools in the area.
Provincial police spokesman Ronel Otto told ANA that Vyeboom “is still under our monitoring, some people were arrested, questioned but they have not yet been charged”.
Mavhidula said the commission too was worried about the destruction of property, but appealed to police that policing should be executed with respect for human rights.
African News Agency