A South African Police Service (SAPS) constable has been charged for drunk and negligent driving after a video of him fighting with a taxi driver went viral on Wednesday.
In the video, the police officer stops his SAPS vehicle and goes after the taxi driver, opens his door and starts assaulting him.
The taxi driver then fights back, as commuters encourage him.
“It’s your fault,” commuters tell the officer, further accusing him of being drunk.
According to Brigadier Novela Potelwa, police officials from Lingelethu West police station who were busy with a vehicle checkpoint on Spine Road were alerted to two vehicles that were involved in an accident in Ilitha Park that led to an altercation between the two drivers.
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The report indicated that one of the vehicles was a marked police van.
“Upon arrival, they found the two vehicles with damages and a SAPS member in uniform who appeared unsteady on his feet. The Lingelethu West police officials took him for testing. He was subsequently charged for driving under the influence of alcohol as well as reckless and negligent driving. He is a 33-year-old constable attached to Khayelitsha Site B police station in the crime prevention unit. An internal disciplinary investigation has since been instituted,” said Potelwa.
The identity of the taxi driver is known and he will be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigations.
Police Minister Bheki Cele has denounced what he terms “ill-discipline behaviour” by the officer.
“This officer doesn’t belong in the SAPS, you simply cannot have a police behaving in this manner and expect not to have consequences. This officer clearly took a decision to swap his blue uniform for an orange one, the minute he reported to work while drunk.”
Cele has called on internal disciplinary processes against this member and all other officers of the police service, who go against their oath and constitutional mandate, to be expedited.
“Theres a call for all hands on deck by the President while we as a country confront this invisible enemy which is COVID-19, yet for us in the SAPS we have a double job which is to also enforce regulations of the Disaster management Act while we deal decisively with criminals this festive season. So, we simply cannot afford to have officers drop the ball and those who do, will be dealt with,” he said.
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