Cape Town - Western Cape community safety MEC Dan Plato has asked the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) to probe police for reportedly detaining a journalist, he said on Thursday.
“The treatment of the journalist and of the vigilante violence victim by the South African Police Service (SAPS) raises serious questions with regards to the police officers' conduct,” Plato said in a statement.
A Daily Sun journalist was detained by police at the Nyanga police station on Tuesday, the tabloid reported on Thursday.
The reporter was taking pictures of police officers who were allegedly photographing a man who was seriously injured after he was beaten and set alight by angry residents in Philippi.
According to the paper the man was accused of breaking into a house and stealing appliances.
The police officers were overheard saying they were planning to post the pictures on Facebook, the paper reported.
The reporter was taken to a police station and said police tried to make him delete pictures and take away his camera.
He was told he would be arrested for attempted murder. He was later released, according to the report.
“If this is true then the police officers have violated the victim's dignity by taking photos for fun social media purposes and not to support any type of investigation.
Ipid spokesman Moses Dlamini said he was not aware of Plato's letter but would comment on it later.
Sapa