Cape Town - The ANC said the eviction of the naked man, who was taking a bath in his Khayelitsha shack when the law enforcement officers pounced, was "barbaric and against the spirit of our democracy".
A video of the incident went viral on social media on Wednesday sparking outrage.
“They acted illegally because they did not have a court or a warrant. This man is shattered. We condemn this inhumane and barbaric action," the ANC's Xolani Sotashe said, adding the party was demanding urgent answers from the Cape Town City Council.
Sotashe also addressed a crowd of residents who had marched to the Harare Police Station in Khayelitsha earlier on Thursday. He referred to the City's proposed amendments to the streets, public places and the prevention of noise nuisance by-law.
The by-law allows for an authorised official to instruct a person who is in contravention of the by-law to leave and remain out of an area, and without a warrant, to stop, enter and search any vessel, vehicle, premises or person for a prima facie offence.
The ANC's Xolani Sotashe addresses a crowd gathered outside the Harare Police Station in Khayelitsha on Thursday. Video: Ayanda Ndamane/African News Agency/ANA
Meanwhile the council, which is run by the DA, said it was in the process of suspending those involved in the debacle pending further investigation and disciplinary procedures.
"We are saddened by the conduct depicted on the video footage, and we do not condone any forceful and dehumanising conduct by our staff members,’ the city's executive director for safety and security Richard Bosman said.
The council said the land on which the dwelling was situated belonged to the City, which had conducted various operations to prevent illegal occupation. After the removal of illegal structures, new attempts were made to invade again on a daily basis, it added.
Meanwhile Minister of Human Settlements, Water and Sanitation Lindiwe Sisulu has also condemned the "distasteful incident".
“While we are yet to be appraised of the exact details of what led to what we have seen on various media platforms; we wish to condemn with the strongest terms an act which sought to degrade an individual like what we have witnessed. The act is inhumane and has no place in our democratic South Africa,” Sisulu said on Thursday.
The minister has on several occasions warned people planning to or have already invaded properties to desist from such unlawful acts. The incidents of land invasions have been a regular occurrence in the Western Cape, Gauteng and KwaZulu-Natal. However, no matter the circumstances, there is no reason for such behaviour on the people tasked with enforcing the law, the minister said.
“We are calling on the Western Cape government to urgently get to the bottom of the incident and to hold accountable those implicated for their deplorable actions. The violation of someone’s dignity has no place in a democratic South Africa," said Sisulu.
African News Agency/ANA