DURBAN Central police are investigating an assault case after a teenager was allegedly head-butted by a manager at the Department of Home Affairs.
The 18-year-old had gone with his parents to the Commercial Road Home Affairs office and was asking a manger where he could make a copy of his birth certificate when the assault occurred.
The mother of the teenager took to social media to ask the community whether they had experienced such ‘nasty’ incidents: “Hi all. I just had to share this experience my son had this (Tuesday) morning at the Department Of Home Affairs on Commercial Road. My son was headed twice (by an apparently stressed senior manager who is on medication and trying to quit smoking) for asking him where he could copy his birth certificate… Has anyone else had any nasty experiences at the Department?” the outraged mother said on a community Facebook group page.
While the mother did not want to be identified, she did explain (in the Facebook post) that her son had opened a case against the manager. “He actually walked up to my son and turns him around, asked my son why he spoke like that, when my son asked him why he spoke arrogantly because he only needed to know where to copy his birth certificate. The manager went up to my son’s face, when my son looked at his badge to see his name, he got angry and headed him once, then my son got angry, and looked at his badge again because he had to get the man’s name, when he headed him again!”
The mother said after police left, the manager confronted her, asking for her husband’s telephone number.
“Then he said he has already spoken to his lawyer, as if to scare us. He also said he is on meds and trying to quit smoking!”
Mayiholme Tshwete, Home Affairs spokesman, told Berea Mail there were witnesses who didn’t see the alleged assault. “The matter is with police now and we are happy that they will investigate,” he added.
Major Thulani Zwane confirmed case of common assault was opened at Durban Central SAPS for investigation and no arrest has been made after the incident during which a 18-year-old man was allegedly assaulted by a Home Affairs manager. Zwane said the motive is unknown.
