#CopRage – Information that cases were previously reported was edited out
Mrs McKenzie has said that during her interview with Carte Blanche it was mentioned that cases were handed over to other departments for investigation.
According to a report received by the NEWS, officials from the Hawks were made aware of abusive and corrupt officials at the Edenvale Police Station last year already.
The report states that several meetings took place between key roleplayers in Edenvale and senior officials from the Hawks.
This followed complaints of corruption and abuse of residents by officers at the station.
Spokesperson for the Hawks, Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi, told the NEWS he had no knowledge of complaints received.
“As far as I know, the matter is being handled by the Gauteng Provincial SAPS. We have no part in the investigations,” said Brig Mulaudzi.
On July 19, Carte Blanche aired an episode titled Bullies in Blue, which highlighted three separate cases of residents allegedly being abused by the same officer, dubbed “Gold Tooth”.
The social media hashtag #CopRage soon went viral on Twitter, with more claims of police brutality being posted on social media platforms.
On Monday last week, the Gauteng Police Commissioner General Lesetja Mothiba gave instructions for the entire Edenvale Police Station’s management to be investigated and for one specific officer, believed to be “Gold Tooth”, to be served with a notice of suspension.
One of the cases reported on by Carte Blanche was that of Mr Darren Kingsley, who claimed he was mistreated by police officers following his arrest in December 2013. The NEWS published Mr Kingsley’s story, as well as comment from the Edenvale SAPS, in February 2014.
Chairperson for the Edenvale Community Police Forum (ECPF), Mrs Linda McKenzie, told the NEWS that following the arrest of Mr Kingsley she received one other complaint.
“It was reported on during the January CPF meeting. We requested the resident meet with the then station commander, Colonel Sam Maredi, and during the first week of February 2014, the ECPF took the case to the IPID.
“We have previously assisted residents in reporting cases,” said Mrs McKenzie.
Edited out
Mrs McKenzie said during her interview with Carte Blanche it was mentioned that cases were handed over to other departments for investigation.
In February 2014, Lieutenant Colonel Robbie Roberts from the Edenvale SAPS, in reply to Mr Kingsley’s allegations, said complaints against police officers are not investigated at the station.
“These cases are not investigated by police officers at station level. For us to be able to catch police officers who are not abiding by the law, we need witnesses and complainants to come forward and open cases,” he told the NEWS at the time.
The NEWS has been told the information that cases were handed over to other departments for investigation was edited out by Carte Blanche.
In response to why information that the cases had been reported to national departments was omitted from the episode, Ms Ingrid Engelbrecht, the publicity manager for M-Net original productions said, “With the limited amount of airtime for stories, the Carte Blanche editorial team decided that the information given to our viewers about the problem of police brutality in Edenvale was more relevant than focusing on the CPF’s and SAPS’s failure to resolve the problem.”
Ms Engelbrecht said Mr Gareth Williams, who was featured during the episode, contacted Carte Blanche in April 2015.
“As the policeman and his partner did not identify themselves, he had no idea who had arrested or assaulted him and in the same month, Carte Blanche was contacted by Mrs Linda McKenzie of the Edenvale CPF asking Carte Blanche for assistance in exposing the unlawful behavior of various members of the Edenvale SAPS,” said Ms Engelbrecht.
She said Mrs McKenzie told producers that she had reported the ongoing problem to various authorities yet nothing had changed.
“We contacted IPID to enquire about the complaints made by Mrs McKenzie. They requested a case number, or a name of whom she had spoken to so that they could follow up. Unfortunately Mrs McKenzie could not provide either,” said Mrs Engelbrecht.
Edenvale CPF
Mrs McKenzie said at tomorrow night’s CPF meeting, the issues will not be discussed.
“Due to the current investigation, the Provincial SAPS requested that we not comment as the matter is sub judice. However, once investigations are concluded we will be given permission to issue a full press release to the Bedfordview and Edenvale NEWS,” she said.
Mrs McKenzie said that several other complaints were received since the episode was aired.
On several occasions the ECPF and SAPS called for residents to report misbehaviour by SAPS officers and members of the Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD).
“Minutes from the CPF meeting are open for perusal. We have asked residents to please come forward but this has not happened. We have also asked residents to note that we cannot investigate matters unless they are willing to make official statements,” she said.
The NEWS sent enquiries for comment to the spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Mr Moses Dlamini.
Enquiries were sent on Friday, June 24, and comment was requested by Monday, June 27.
No comment was received.
