Soldiers caught on camera assaulting Sebokeng man get reprimanded

The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) has said that its members caught on a video clip widely circulated on social media allegedly assaulting a member of the public in Sebokeng, Gauteng, have been reprimanded and the matter closed, despite an ongoing police investigation into the incident.

The SANDF said this in its compliance affidavit dated 4 June deposed to by its deputy chief of operations, Major General Elma Petronella De Villiers.

The affidavit comes after the Gauteng High Court ruled in favour of the Collins Khosa family, after Khosa was allegedly beaten to death by members of the army when they saw half a glass of alcohol in his yard in Alexandra.

The incident took place in March during the national lockdown when the sale of alcohol was still banned.

The court had also ordered Minister of Defence Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula, and Minister of Police Bheki Cele to ensure that investigations into the treatment of Khosa and any other person whose rights might have been infringed during the national state of disaster at the hands of members of the SANDF, police and any metro police departments, be completed and the reports handed to the court before 4 June.

De Villiers said in the affidavit that the matter of SANDF members caught on video assaulting a member of the public had been finalised on 11 April and so was no longer relevant to the court order; the Khosa matter was heard on 5 May.

The SANDF members caught on video were reportedly summoned to the army’s “office orders” and were reprimanded on parade. The report states that the members “understand and accept” the office orders.

De Villiers said the matter was still being investigated by the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Sebokeng and that the SANDF would await the outcome of the investigation.

Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubele confirmed that the police are still investigating the matter and that no arrests have been made thus far.

De Villiers said that another incident was incorrectly reported to the court as an investigation by the military police into allegations of soldiers allegedly assaulting a member of the public in Cato Manor, KwaZulu-Natal, when the probe is being done by the Hawks and that the army will, however, await the outcome of the said investigation.

De Villiers said no other incidents or “complaints or incidents of human rights abuses involving any violence against members of the public by members of the SANDF during the national state of disaster that have been reported to the SANDF for internal investigation”.

On the other news the boy from Sebokeng was sent to the shop to purchase some essentials for his family where he was brutally assaulted by SANDF

The case has been opened at Sebokeng police station.
Bheki Cele please try giving you instructions in venec next time #cyrilramaphosa pic.twitter.com/bOhqzJnnef

— Blessing🇿🇦 (@Ntsharebone_) April 9, 2020

In his affidavit, Cele said an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) investigation into the role police officers played in Khosa’s treatment has been completed and was filed with the court on 22 May.

Cele said the Ipid report revealed that no SAPS member partook in Khosa’s treatment but it did recommend that disciplinary action should be instituted against two officers.

The Ipid report, however, did not recommend that criminal proceedings should be pursued against any SAPS member.

The minister said the disciplinary action would be instituted by the SAPS once they had received the Ipid report.

“I wish to point out that the criminal proceeding surrounding the incident involving the late Mr Khosa are ongoing and are the subject matter of further investigations by the relevant officials with the South African Police Services. Such investigations, however, do not form part of the order dated 15 May 2020,” Cele said.

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