Durban - A minor was allegedly assaulted by a woman security guard of the Intense Protection and Tourists Services (IPTS) who was on duty at Pinetown Home Affairs on Monday.
The minor had gone there to collect his ID when the incident happened. It is alleged that he had waited from 6am in the queue and was number 17 to go in, but because of selling of places in the queue he ended up being number 50. The spots are allegedly sold for R150 or R200.
When the doors of the offices shut for close of business there was a queue of angry individuals who had been waiting in line for a long time. They retaliated by pushing the door and in the ensuing chaos the security guards dealt with the minor only.
His mother, Nontobeko Mlomo, told the Daily News that her son had told her in a phone call that the line was increasing yet they were not getting any closer to the door. Mlomo said as she kept in contact with her son and he told her that people were becoming impatient as it was about 3.30pm and they were told that the facility was closing and they would have to come back the next day “and that is when all hell broke loose”.
“As we were on the call, he told me that the people in line started banging on the door, complaining about how long they have been waiting without being attended to. Then I suddenly heard him shouting ‘Why are you hitting me’ and I felt my soul leave my body. I don’t know how I got to Pinetown from uMhlanga after hearing him crying over the phone,” said Mlomo.
She said her son was still traumatised after being beaten and manhandled. He was not in possession of any weapon.
Mlomo decided to ask the Pinetown Operation Dudula to get involved and ask for some sort of probe to be made.
KwaZulu-Natal Operation Dudula provincial secretary Ntombikayise Madlala said they were looking for answers, as the security guards assaulted and held the minor without an adult around.
IPTS area supervisor Thulani Shangase said that the officers who were on duty had told him that it was the people who started attacking first by pushing the door.
“The assault I was not told about... however, their duty and right, granted by PSiRa, was to take the alleged victim to a safe place before taking matters into their own hands and call upon officers had the situation escalated,” said Shangase.
Madlala said the facility was denying them access to the CCTV footage showing what had transpired. She said that she suspected that there might be foul play.
Shangase defended these claims saying they could not show the footage as an internal investigation was yet to take place to allow the company to act on facts at hand.
“We need time for the investigation process to happen, so we can see who is at fault so they can get the appropriate punishment and if the other party is not happy with the punishment we can discuss it further …” said Shangase.
Madlala said they had decided to give the facility and the security company a week to probe the incident, adding that the laying of a criminal charge was still on the cards.
The pupil had gone to the offices in his full school uniform to collect his ID and head to school. He missed his geography test, which was set to get him ready for the next month’s exams.
According to his mother, the school said that under the circumstances it would give him a chance to rewrite.
The paper sent a query to the Department of Home Affairs, but there had been no response by the time of publication.
Daily News