Court orders suspects in Khosa killing to be suspended
Judge Hans Fabricius pointed out that the SANDF and the police were bound to protect the public’s human rights and to use minimum force.
The South African National Defence Force (SANDF) soldiers and Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers allegedly involved in the fatal beating of Collins Khosa in Alexandra on April 10 have been suspended.
The suspensions were today (15 May) ordered by Judge Hans Fabricius in the Pretoria High Court, pending an investigation.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) welcomed the decision, saying that every person in the country was entitled to the right to human dignity, to life and not to be tortured. A statement released by the party read, ‘We trust that this ruling will send a strong message to law enforcement officials that they are not above the law and that the South African public has the right to be treated with dignity.’
Judge Fabricius pointed out that the SANDF and the police were bound to protect these rights and to use minimum force. The DA also lashed out at law enforcement agencies, saying officials were “flouting their mandates (in order to) to humiliate, degrade and harm the public”. The party emphasised that there was no excuse for such conduct by those entrusted to keep citizens safe.
The DA had lodged a complaint with the Military Ombudsman, asking for an independent investigation into the killing of Khosa. ‘We trust that the investigation will be conducted openly and transparently and that all those involved will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.’
