Father involved in Ballito child arrest tells of rough treatment by police
Eleven people were arrested including an 88-year-old man and his 81-year-old wife who were allegedly also taking a walk along the beach.
The Chaka’s Rock father is seen trying to wrestle his child from the grip of two KwaDukuza municipality peace officers on Sunday, while the child screams hysterically.
A disturbing video of KwaDukuza municipality peace officers allegedly trying to drag a screaming four-year-old child out of a Chaka’s Rock complex while his father tries to pull him from them on Sunday morning has gone viral.
The North Coast Courier spoke to Paul* (37) one of the men who was arrested, who captured the viral video on his phone.
Paul told us that about ten officers arrived at the complex to arrest him and several other families for failing to comply with the lockdown regulations.
The officers were responding to a complaint after several families had been seen on Chaka’s Rock beach at around 7.30am.
The families with their children were already on their way home when the officers arrived to arrest them.
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“We were nowhere near the beach when the police barged into the complex to arrest us in full view of our children who were completely overwhelmed when they saw their parents being taken away.
Paul’s wife said her daughter blamed herself for her father’s arrest and was still recovering from the dramatic events of yesterday.
The elderly couple, who have been walking along that same stretch of beach for the past 20-years, was taken with the to Umhlali SAPS and locked in the holding cells for almost seven hours before released on R1,000 bail.
He said that not all of the officers had been wearing masks when they were arrested.
“The women were held in a separate cell to the men and because the cells were so small, three meters by two meters, none of us could observe social distancing.”
“They crossed the line by behaving the way they did, especially in front of our children,” he said.
Online commentators have accused the police of being heavy-handed after the footage was posted on social media.
KwaDukuza municipal spokesperson Sipho Mkhize said an internal investigation had been launched into a “scuffle” between two of its officers with a father and child.
“KwaDukuza municipality notes the video making rounds on social media of two of its peace officers who ‘seem’ to be in a scuffle with a father and child in the Chaka’s Rock area in Ballito,” said Mkhize.
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Mkhize said they do not condone any form of abuse levelled against residents, particularly women and children.
“We are engaged in an internal investigation to ascertain facts of the whole incident but do take cognisance of the emotive issues that the circulating video has stirred.”
A formal statement is expected to be released by the municipality once consultations with the relevant parties have been concluded.
“We appeal for calm and cooperation in our community while we endeavour to deal with this matter,” he said.
*Names have been changed to protect the identities of the children.
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