More citizens die at hands of police, than from Covid-19
In a statement, the police watchdog said it was investigating 38 cases against police officials for misconduct during the lockdown period from midnight on 26 March to 2 April.
LIMPOPO – More citizens in the country have lost their lives to police non-compliance, than those who succumbed to Covid-19 during the first part of the national lockdown. The Independent Police Investigative Directorate’s (IPID) statistics relating to the non-compliance during the nationwide lockdown period, were released on 3 April, and indicate that at the time, eight people died as a result of police brutality.
In a statement, the police watchdog said it was investigating 38 cases against police officials for misconduct during the lockdown period from midnight on 26 March to 2 April. Six deaths as a result of unlawful police action have been reported: two deaths in Gauteng, two in KwaZulu-Natal and two in the Western Cape. This is one less than the lives claimed by COVID-19, as stated the same day by health minister Zweli Mkhize.
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Two people are said to have died in police custody in Limpopo, but National Acting IPID Spokesperson Sontaga Seisa said the deaths could not directly be attributed to the police. One case of rape was opened against a policeman and 14 cases of assault. Added to this, was 11 cases opened against police discharging firearms. This is a comprehensive statistical report, said Seisa.
He said that Lockdown/Covid-19 related cases only amounted to a total of 12 cases: three deaths as a result of police action, three cases of the discharge of a firearm and six cases of assault. Of these cases, three were reported in the Eastern Cape, three in the Free State, three in Gauteng and one case each in Mpumalanga, North Cape and Western Cape. Limpopo, KZN and North West reported no lockdown related cases of non-compliance by the police.
Crimes other than police brutality, and contraventions of the lockdown regulations, can be reported to the South African Police Service’s 10111 line or 0860 10111, which will continue to be operational.
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