KZN family claim police assault
INDEPENDENT MEDIA
Durban - An Isipingo family has claimed they were assaulted by metro
police officers over a dispute about a parking space at their business
premises.
Tony Outar said his family had been traumatised by the incident.
The family has a vehicle repair business, as well as a bottle store in
the complex.
His son, Ashie, 36, who was arrested, said he went to work on Saturday a
week ago to find that metro police officials had parked in his business
premises, even though an employee had told them not to.
Ashie parked his vehicle behind the police van and went upstairs to his
premises.
“My employee then came and told me that the cops said I must remove my
bakkie as they wanted to get out.”
When he went to his car, he saw a policewoman writing out a fine for his
car. When he asked why he was getting a fine, he claimed she retorted: “Do you
have common sense? Do you have brains? How can you park behind a police van?”
He told her that the parking space she had used belonged to him and that
it was reserved for customers who came to buy from his business - and she was
not doing that.
“She said she can park anywhere she wants, as she does not see my name
anywhere,” Ashie recalled. After she wrote out the fine, she then threw it at
him, he claimed. He took the fine, crumpled it up and threw it back at her,
telling her he would wait for a summons.
“She picked up the fine and put it on my windscreen. She then walked
next to my van, turned, slapped me and called me a f***ing coolie,” said an
angry Ashie.
Seeing what was happening, his sister, Nolene, 25, came down from the
office to ask why the policewoman had hit her brother.
Taking up the story, she said that the policewoman then assaulted her
and a fight ensued.
“She slapped me and carried on pulling my hair. Chunks of my hair came
out.”
By now, a large crowd had gathered and managed to stop the fight. Nolene
went upstairs to the kitchen to catch her breath and get some water.
The policewoman, now accompanied by other officers, followed her and
when she asked them what they were doing inside private property, told her they
were police and could do whatever they wanted.
“They dragged me out of the kitchen and twisted my arm. I told them that
they were hurting me. They would not even let me put my shoes on.”
She was handcuffed, put in a police van and taken to the police station
with her brother Ashie and sister Shelina, who had been recording the events on
her cellphone.
She was in handcuffs for two hours and her hands became swollen. She
felt humiliated by the incident and has nightmares, she said.
Asked to comment, metro police spokesman, Superintendent SiboneloMchunu,
said people should make a complaint at metro police offices.
However, police spokesman Major ThulaniZwane confirmed charges of
assault, grievous bodily harm and crimen injuria had been opened for
investigation by Isipingo SAPS.
No arrests had been made.
Daily News
