THE City of Cape Town has suspended four law enforcement officials involved in the violent eviction of a Khayelitsha man, who has since been identified as Bulelani Qholani.
This comes after a widely circulated video shared by Numsa General Secretary, Irvin Jim, showing a naked man being evicted by officials from his home and his property subsequently destroyed.
The city earlier claimed Qholani was illegally occupying the land as it allegedly belongs to the City of Cape Town.
In a statement, City of Cape Town executive director of Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, said the City is in the process of “suspending staff members pending an investigation and disciplinary procedures”.
“The suspension also ensures that staff are not targeted while on duty. We are saddened by the conduct depicted on the video footage and we do not condone any forceful and dehumanizing conduct by our staff members,” said Bosman, adding that the City will take the allegations against the police officials “very seriously”.
“We will not condone violence of any nature by law enforcement staff. I have asked for the facts to be gathered as a matter of urgency and that the investigation is concluded without delay.”
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has condemned the incident and said an urgent investigation launched by city.
“We strongly condemn the dehumanizing conduct of law enforcement officers in Khayelitsha yesterday. Police brutality has no place in the Western Cape and South Africa. I welcome the swift action by the City of Cape Town to suspend the 4 officers, pending a thorough investigation,” said Winde.
“A clear message needs to be sent that this conduct will not be tolerated.”
The ANC in the Western Cape said in a statement that the actions by the City of Cape Town law enforcement officials are barbaric.
“An outraged Xolani Sotashe, Leader of the Opposition in the City of Cape Town, has slammed as barbaric and against the spirit of our democracy the actions of law enforcement officers who evicted a naked man from his shack in Ethembeni informal settlement today,” the party said in a statement.
“The man, who’s name is known to the ANC, was having a bath in his shack in Ward 95, Khayelitsha, when City of Cape Town law enforcement officers arrived to evict him.”
(Compiled by Inside Politics staff)
