Delays in resolving complaints of alleged police brutality in Gauteng spark call for intervention

Only five of 147 cases of alleged police brutality in Gauteng have been resolved in the past five years.

This was revealed by Gauteng community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko in a written reply to the DA’s questions tabled in the provincial legislature.

Cases opened against Gauteng police members in the last five years, from the 2016/2017 financial year to the 2020/2021 financial year, according to Mazibuko, include:

• 117 cases of alleged common assault and assault with intention to cause grievous bodily harm;
• 16 deaths in police custody;
• 10 death cases allegedly as a result of police actions;
• three cases of alleged rape; and
• one person allegedly raped in police custody in 2018.

“All these cases have been reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) and of these opened cases, only five have been resolved,” said Michael Shackleton, DA Gauteng shadow MEC for community safety.

“It is worrying that our people continue to suffer and die in the hands of the police yet there is a delay in ensuring justice for the victims and their families.

“This clearly shows that some of the SAPS in this province are failing to abide by the SAPS code of conduct and that they are failing to respect the rights of our people while they are conducting their duties,” Shackleton said.

He called on Mazibuko to engage both the minister for police, Bheki Cele, and the head of Ipid to ascertain why there have been delays in resolving these cases.

“Justice delayed is justice denied for the victims and their families, and it is high time that Ipid speeds up the investigations in these pending cases,” he said.

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