Mmusi Maimane is the latest to weigh in on videos surfacing online of law enforcement allegedly acting without regard for the law.
Over the weekend, videos of police and SANDF allegedly forcing residents to do exercise as punishment for not obeying the lockdown laws surfaced on social media.
Another video showed police officials chasing a citizen from their own yard into their home.
These several videos, sparking a heated debate online and transport minister Fikile Mbalula promised to communicate with forces on the ground about the alleged wrongdoings.
Aita Mmusi, yes, people are allowed to be within their yards.
— ANC SECRETARY GENERAL | Fikile Mbalula (@MbalulaFikile) March 29, 2020
The enforcement must always be in-line with the Regulations and I will communicate with my colleagues so this information gets to the forces on the ground. https://t.co/Tm6nDRrYe6
Taking to Twitter on Monday, the One South Africa (Osa) leader called for order and pleaded with President Cyril Ramaphosa for the need to use minimum force against civilians.
“The civilians are not the enemy. The virus is the enemy. This is not right. Let’s respect civilian rights and have all security officers observe the law.
“Civilians who are cooperating with law enforcement, who are not posing a physical threat to anyone, who are not resisting arrest, should not be assaulted,” Maimane said.
Minimum force is the standard for dealing with civilians.
— Mmusi Maimane MP (@MmusiMaimane) March 30, 2020
Civilians who are cooperating with law enforcement , who are not posing a physical threat to anyone , who are not resisting arrest should not be assaulted.
He claimed the security cluster was overreacting when dealing with civilians, saying: “No one deserves to be killed because they went to buy a beer.
Still, he encouraged citizens to follow the rules of the lockdown.
As civilians we must follow the rules of the lockdown. I am not defending any civilians who are deliberately violating the lockdown.
— Mmusi Maimane MP (@MmusiMaimane) March 30, 2020
However it seems like the security cluster is over reacting when dealing with civilians, sometimes going beyond what they are entitled to do.
No one deserves to be killed because they went to buy a beer.
— Mmusi Maimane MP (@MmusiMaimane) March 30, 2020
The correct course of action for someone who has violated the lockdown is an arrest. That is what the law stipulates.
We must not sacrifice civil rights at the altar of expedience.
Maimane also called on the security cluster to respect the legislation put in place by Ramaphosa and stop “abusing citizens”.
While we all support the administration in its efforts to flatten the curve. We must not turn a blind eye when civilians are killed, tortured or given unlawful orders.
— Mmusi Maimane MP (@MmusiMaimane) March 30, 2020
Yesterday we saw a grandmother standing at the door of her home, in her yard, told to go inside. That was wrong
