DURBAN: THE Msunduzi Municipality is investigating a fight that took place between one of its traffic officers and a member of the public.
A video has emerged which shows a resident punching a traffic officer, a scuffle ensues and both men fall on the road, another traffic officer then appears on the scene and tries to jump on the man that had been fighting with his colleague.
The incident is believed to have occurred on Monday near the Edendale area, outside Pietermaritzburg.
In the video, spectators could be heard warning the civilian that it is against the law to assault a law enforcement officer and he would be arrested.
Municipal spokesperson Thobeka Mafumbatha said they are aware of the incident.
“Traffic officers were on duty doing compliance, and unfortunately, as you can see on the video, an incident ensued which is currently being investigated.”
She said the traffic officers have written statements to management with regard to the incident.
“We would like to appeal to residents to protect municipal employees and not be violent towards them.”
She said civil servants (traffic officers) should also exercise restraint based on the training they received to ensure that citizens are protected as well.
She said the incident was highly regrettable and it will be investigated thoroughly to establish what had led to the violence.
The attack highlights the concerns the traffic officers have previously raised. They said that they feel unsafe as they are unarmed as their guns were seized by the task team investigating political violence. The officers allegedly no longer do enforcement duties after 6pm.
THE MERCURY