THE Democratic Alliance has launched a dedicated WhatsApp number and email address where people can report any acts of assault, abuse or bribery by law enforcement officers.
They can also send the DA their questions regarding their legal rights during the Covid-19 lockdown.
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The WhatsApp number and email address will be monitored by a task team of DA MPs that form part of the security and justice clusters in Parliament.
They are experts in their fields and will be able to provide expert advice to South Africans.
“The nation is only seven days into this lockdown and we have already seen increased violence at the hands of those who were tasked with protecting and serving us.
“On Tuesday, reports indicated that police shot two nurses at the Bongani Regional Hospital in Welkom and on Monday, an Ekurhuleni Metro police officer was arrested for allegedly shooting and killing a Vosloorus man while enforcing the lockdown,” said DA leader, John Steenhuisen in the statement.
“There are numerous videos on social media showing police and army officers increasingly brutalising and humiliating members of the public.
“Some South Africans were threatened and assaulted in their own backyards and while standing in line to buy the essentials.
“This is a gross abuse of the power entrusted to the South African Police Service (SAPS) and the South African National Defence Force (SANDF),” Steenhuisen added.
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“That is why there is an urgent need for oversight and monitoring of SANDF’s deployment in the country, as well as the police’s conduct. South Africa is a constitutional democracy and not a military state. We must adhere to the rule of law, the Bill of Rights and the Constitution at all times,” he said.
The DA reminds law enforcement officials that this is a state of disaster, not a state of emergency.
“We believe it is important for South Africans to adhere to the lockdown regulations and agree that those who do not comply should face the consequences of their actions within the law. However, we strongly condemn the brazen acts of violence, humiliation and degradation committed against our citizens,” said Steenhuisen.
“It is these increased incidences of violence and brutality on the part of law enforcement officers, enforcing the lockdown, which strengthens our call for an ad hoc committee of Parliament to perform oversight of the executive and ensure the protection of civil liberties during the lockdown,” concluded the DA leader in the statement.
The Highway Mail has reached out to the SAPS and SANDF for comment.
Contact the DA on the following platforms for expert advice and to report incidents of abuse:
- WhatsApp: 067 977 9324
- Email: reportpoliceabuse@da.org.za
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