DA lays complaint against
Mogalakwena police
Mmusi Maimane: ‘I will be laying six charges with the Independent Police
Investigative Directorate (IPID) against the officers of the South African
Police Service (SAPS) in Mokopane, who on Wednesday blocked my entrance into
the Mogalakwena municipal buildings.’
January 23, 2015
MOKOPANE – “I will be laying six charges with
the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) against the officers of
the South African Police Service (SAPS) in Mokopane, who on Wednesday blocked
my entrance into the Mogalakwena municipal buildings”, said Mmusi
Maimane(Parliamentary Leader of the DA)
The police used Nyala riot vehicles, and
unravelled barbed wire to block Maimane path into the Municipal buildings.
“The use of police in Mogalakwena for
political thuggery is unacceptable” Maimane said.
What happened on Tuesday in Mogalakwena is an
abuse of police power, acting for political masters.
I have therefore laid the following
complaints at the IPID today:
1) Unconstitutional limitation of the right
to freedom of movement, without justification;
2) Unconstitutional infringement of two MPs
and one MPL’s right to undertake oversight in the municipality;
3) Political intimidation by the SAPS;
4) SAPS taking orders from an unlawful
source, in that the officers acted on instruction of municipal officials:
5) Concealment of name badges, or failure to
display name badges by the SAPS officers; and
6) Failure to disclose operational orders
when asked by a Member of Parliament
We trust that the IPID will treat these
complaints with due seriousness and will sanction this unlawful conduct by the
SAPS.
The capture of the SAPS by the ANC risks
undermining our constitutional democracy irreparably.
