A Mamelodi police officer is under investigated for assault.
Spokesperson Captain Johannes Maheso said the case was being investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid).
He said depending on the outcome of the Ipid investigation, the officer could face a disciplinary hearing.
Sophie Masilela (57), mother of ward 6 councillor Jabualani Masilela, said she and other residents had clashed with a man believed to be involved in the illegal sale his family home.
Rekord has reported extensively about the homes in Mamelodi being sold from under their owners’ noses by unscrupulous means.
Many township homes built under apartheid under the 99-year lease were later given to their occupants as “family” homes meaning they didn’t belong to any particular member of the family but the entire clan.
As a result, when one wants to sell such home, they need to obtain the approval of all family members.
Masilela said the man had singled her out and punched her in the face.
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“I fought back,” she said.
“Then on 30 November I went to the open a case of assault at the police station but I was told to leave my contact details instead.
On my way home, I realised I had not taken the name of the officer I had reported the assault to so I went back.
When I got there, the man who had attacked, and talking to the officer, started shouting for the officers to arrest me.”
She said another officer then pounced on her accusing her of being drunk.
“He held me in a chokehold until I passed out.
When I regained consciousness, he still had me pinned down and I had this excruciating pain in my shoulder.”
She said she later learned she had fractured her shoulder bone.
She claimed she had not heard from the police since.
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Since then, local residents had joined forces with Masilela picketing marching to the police station to demand “justice”.
Last week, ward 6 residents, Jabulani Masilela and local ANC branch executive marched to the Mamelodi West police station demanding a briefing on the progress of the investigation “because nobody has given the woman any feedback since 30 Novemver”.
They complained that the police did not keep Masilela informed on the progress of the investigation.
ANC branch executive Alpheus Sealetso accused the police of stalling to protect one of their own.
“The police just keep quiet and no one is informing the poor lady on what is happening with the case,” he said.
“We tried to have meeting with the CPF and the police, but they postponed so we had to protest.”
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