Cape Town - Residents in Athlone are upset about the way police officers are allegedly mishandling people while they perform searches.
On Friday night, police on patrol at a place known as “Die Vlei” conducted a drug search in the informal structures.
Community representative Mischka Chachu said: “The police officers came after midnight on Friday night and started assaulting people who were in the streets. They then broke doors open and pulled others out of their own homes, to let them lay on the ground while they were violently handled.”
“We are not against the police performing their duties and searching for drugs, but assault with wooden and iron objects while dragging them (people) in the sand cannot be approved.”
Chachu helped some of the men who were assaulted to open a case at the Athlone police station on Sunday.
She said one of those assaulted and admitted to Groote Schuur Hospital was discharged on Tuesday.
“He was beaten and dragged outside his home while his room was searched.”
Chachu said police brutality can not go on and people’s rights deserve to be respected.
Nurdien Rashid Salim said he was assaulted by police. “The officers broke my door down and when they started breaking it down I told them I will open for them but they did not understand.
“I was beaten by more than one officer and that is why I tried to escape from them, not because of drugs. It was an iron object that I was being hit with,” said Salim.
He said he feels degraded and still feels emotional and bodily pain from the incident.
Cape Argus