Hawkers, traders: ‘We feel abused by the cops’
Scores of hawkers and traders in the main streets of the Polokwane Central Business District (CBD) have accused the local police of brutality, double standards and hypocrisy.
One of the hawkers who opted to speak on condition of anonymity, said they were arrested for selling cigarettes in their areas of operation in the CBD in December last year.
The nicotine operator said they had the permits to sell but are baffled by the actions of some police officers. “We have permits to trade in the city and are also selling legal cigarettes which we buy at reputable retail stores in Polokwane.”
Another hawker said the police officers who arrested him and confiscated his stock, did not furnish him with a number in order to trace the confiscated goods at yard 13 and could not be identified as they were in civilian clothes, yet they were driving a state vehicle.
“There were Indian guys who were selling the same brand of cigarettes as us and they were not arrested. This preferential treatment is unbecoming. We cannot be treated like this by our own law enforcement officers in our own city. We need our stock back.”
Another hawker, who was also arrested during the operation said they were kept in the holding cells at the Polokwane Police Station for four days and were released with no charge, no court appearance and they are still to receive their confiscated stock.
“The treatment is diabolical and nonsensical. The officers who were assigned for the operation on the day seemed clueless. They were just arresting people for the sake of arresting them. They wanted to make up numbers. I used R5 000 to buy 200 packs of cigarettes for my clientele and I feel as if I have lost. This is my livelihood and I feel I lost it because of police incompetence and brutality. We know that the police must arrest people during these operations but not at the expense of those who are earning an honest living. We know they have a target to meet but they must treat people equally.”
Provincial Police Spokesperson, Mamphaswa Seabi said according to their records, some suspects were arrested on 3 December and appeared before the Polokwane Magistrate’s Court on 7 December and were released. He said they encourage the community to approach the Independent Police Investigative Directorate [IPID] or management within the provincial commissioner’s
office if they feel they have been treated unfairly.
“Police have no right to brutalise the suspects after arrest – if any foul play is experienced, the provincial complaint office may be called. However, it is the duty of the police to conduct operations and arrest those who do not comply with the regulations. The storage number at yard 13 is our store room number, we don’t give it to suspects and police may work in their private clothes to maximise crime prevention as a strategy. If there is unbecoming behaviour from such police officers you may take the registration number of the vehicle and call the station commander of the said station, “ Seabi advised.
