DA lays complaint against Mogalakwena police

MOKOPANE – “I will be laying six charges with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) against the officers of the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mokopane, who on Wednesday blocked my entrance into the Mogalakwena municipal buildings”, said Mmusi Maimane(Parliamentary Leader of the DA)

The police used Nyala riot vehicles, and unravelled barbed wire to block Maimane path into the Municipal buildings.

“The use of police in Mogalakwena for political thuggery is unacceptable” Maimane said.

What happened on Tuesday in Mogalakwena is an abuse of police power, acting for political masters.

I have therefore laid the following complaints at the IPID today:

1) Unconstitutional limitation of the right to freedom of movement, without justification;

2) Unconstitutional infringement of two MPs and one MPL’s right to undertake oversight in the municipality;

3) Political intimidation by the SAPS;

4) SAPS taking orders from an unlawful source, in that the officers acted on instruction of municipal officials:

5) Concealment of name badges, or failure to display name badges by the SAPS officers; and

6) Failure to disclose operational orders when asked by a Member of Parliament

We trust that the IPID will treat these complaints with due seriousness and will sanction this unlawful conduct by the SAPS.

The capture of the SAPS by the ANC risks undermining our constitutional democracy irreparably.

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