Pretoria - The Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) on Friday said the group of people in its police uniforms seen dragging and allegedly assaulting an unidentified person in a video circulating online are indeed its police officers.
TMPD spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said the marked vehicle used by the assailants, who are seen in the video dragging the unidentified person over a wall and hitting him, belongs to the Tshwane metro police.
“The Tshwane Metro Police Department has noted a video that was posted on social media where TMPD officers are seen to be allegedly assaulting a male person. On the video, the male person was taken out from a home and is seemingly being slapped,” said Mahamba.
“TMPD does confirms that it is indeed our vehicle and our members that are seen on the video.”
Mahamba said investigations were under way but no one had come forward to register a complaint.
Metro cops assault man. @TMPDSafety says the incident is being investigated. pic.twitter.com/geKn0OfvX1
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) January 28, 2021
“The Tshwane Metro Police Department is conducting internal investigations regarding the video. However no complaint has been formally lodged in relation to the video. We request the person who seems to be assaulted in the video to come forward so we can obtain more information that will assist with the investigation,” said Mahamba.
“Anyone who might have any information regarding the video can anonymously contact the TMPD on 083 657 2998. Information provided will be treated with confidentiality.”
Tshwane metro police officers have recently been accused in several incidents of assaulting civilians across the city.
Earlier this month, Kymie du Toit, the Pretoria nursery school teacher who made headlines when she was allegedly assaulted and thrown to the ground by a TMPD officer, instituted a multimillion-rand damages claim against the metro police unit as well as against the SAPS.
Du Toit, 30, of Moreleta Park, instituted the claim in the Gauteng High Court, Pretoria, following her harrowing ordeal in 2019.
Last year, an academic in the City who was allegedly assaulted by Tshwane metro police officers told Pretoria News that he would not back down from the issue, in order to root out the corrupt elements and to safeguard other motorists.
At the time, Professor André Thomashausen told the publication that it was disappointing that five months after he was attacked as a passenger in a car by three metro police officers “there has been no response or any engagement whatsoever”.
African News Agency (ANA)