Driver alleges assault after accident

A member of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) faces assault charges after a man alleged he was beaten by the member after an accident.

The accident occurred on the corner of Arnoldus Pannevis Street and OR Tambo on Saturday, February 10 after a brown Audi collided with a red I10 Hyundai.

“I got a call from my husband around about 05:20, telling me that he was involved in an accident on his way to work. I immediately called the police and CPF for assistance. I arrived at the accident scene at 06:00 and the police were still not there but towing and CPF members were on scene,” the driver of the I10’s wife, Ms Altea van der Merwe said.

The scene of the accident

It is alleged that the driver of the Audi was drunk and caused the accident. He left the scene with an unknown vehicle but later returned after a chase between the unknown vehicle and the CPF responders.

At about 07:30 WITBANK NEWS got a phone call from Mr Bruce Kirton telling the journalist that the community needs a reporter at Witbank Police Station as the police are busy doing a huge injustice to the people that were involved in the accident.

“The police do not want these people to open a case against a drunk driver and is playing for time so he can not be sent for blood tests,” Kirton said.

In the mean time a video leaked onto social media under the heading: “CPF members abuse their power on accident scene.”

On this video, Kirton is seen pushing the alleged drunk driver around and stating that he should be afraid of him after the man stepped away saying “please leave me alone I am scared of you”.

“The police are asking me why I assaulted the drunk driver but I did not assault him. It was two young community members that assaulted him. They put the man in a towing vehicle and drove off. I send two responders after them, they stopped at the police station,” Kirton said in the phone call.

At the police station a case was opened by Mr Makete Mabena against Kirton. He alleged that he was assaulted by him.

ALSO READ

CPF expulsions – More details emerge

CPF Committees sudden announcement

“I want to tell my side of the story because it is reality but I first want to contact my lawyer to find out if it will be the right thing for me to tell what happened. I just know I did not flee the scene, a bystander rescued me from the violence,” Mabena said.

The CPF chairperson and the public relations officer (PRO) was asked by WITBANK NEWS for an official media release regarding this incident but failed to reply before the paper went to print.

“This whole incident was approached and treated incorrectly. A CPF responder is not entitled to make an arrest as this person does not have the authority of a police official. A civil arrest could have been made by the CPF member on scene which would have been the right way for justice to be served,” concluded spokesperson of Witbank Police Station, Capt Eddie Hall.