Cape Town – At the height of the global Black Lives Matter movement sparked by police brutality against black people, City law enforcement officers were yesterday videoed violently removing a naked Khayelitsha resident from his shack because they wanted to demolish it.
The disturbing incident, which went viral on social media last night, has caused outrage, with the Khayelitsha Development Forum (KDF) calling on the SA Human Rights Commission to investigate.
The City has responded by saying it is in the process of suspending staff pending further investigation and disciplinary procedures.
The Empolweni informal settlement resident was bathing when officers swooped in on him in broad daylight yesterday. The officers were seen forcefully pushing and dragging him from his shack, much to the shock of the watching residents.
KDF chairperson Ndithini Tyhido said the act violated the resident’s right to dignity. “KDF condemns this barbaric act and we will never forgive the disrespect with which all this was done.
"We wish to express our utter disgust at the manner in which the City officers manhandled a shack dweller at Empolweni informal settlement.
“We think that the act is a provocation of our community and a deliberate violation of the pictured adult male’s right to dignity.
"We call on the human rights commission to investigate the matter: whether the eviction was not in violation of a court order or the applicable national regulations on such. Whether the act was not a deliberate attempt at demonstrating that black lives don’t matter in the City of Cape Town,” he said.
The incident comes at the time the world is taking a stand against police brutality, sparked by the killing of American George Floyd after a white police officer knelt on his neck for nearly nine minutes.
The ANC leader in the City, Xolani Sotashe, said: “He (the resident) told me he was having a bath in preparation to go to work. He asked to be allowed to get dressed.
"They wouldn’t listen to him and sprayed him with pepper spray on his private parts and in his eyes. He could not get their names because they did not wear name tags. They acted illegally because they did not have a court (order) or a warrant.
“This man is shattered. We condemn this inhumane and barbaric action. We find it strange that the mayor of Cape Town, Dan Plato, did not answer our telephone call when we tried to get hold of him. This is typical of him.
"I took up the matter with Mayco member Malusi Booi. He is adamant that he did not give instructions for today’s (yesterday) action. If he did not, who did? We want urgent answers from the City.”
Last night, Richard Bosman, City executive director for safety and security, said: “We are in the process of suspending four staff members involved in the incident pending the outcome of the investigation.
"The suspension also ensures that staff are not targeted while on duty. We are saddened by the conduct depicted in the video footage, and we do not condone any forceful and dehumanising conduct by our staff members.”
Bosman said the land in question belonged to the City and they conducted various operations to prevent illegal land occupation.
“The City takes these allegations very seriously, and while our staff are subjected to very challenging circumstances while carrying out anti-land invasion operations, which are to protect land earmarked for housing opportunities and other services, we will not condone violence of any nature by law enforcement staff.
"I have asked for the facts to be gathered as a matter of urgency and that the investigation is concluded without delay,” said Bosman.