Phiyega must suspend SAPS members for torturing mineworkers

The DA is outraged by the news that South African Police Service members have been torturing arrested mineworkers from Marikana. This shows a clear lack of discipline and leadership from the top. National Police Commissioner General Phiyega needs to act quickly to restore order to our police service and suspend those officers involved.

It has been reported that 194 cases have been opened against the police, including assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and attempted murder, for torturing mineworkers in police cells in the Rustenburg area. This is police brutality on a massive scale and is totally unacceptable.

In addition, the only thing the police have admitted to is that they searched the arrested miners for cellphones.

The DA welcomes the fact that the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has been called in by Minister Mthethwa to investigate. However, General Phiyega has been silent on this matter. In the absence of good leadership, chaos reigns supreme.

First Phiyega implicitly condoned the killing of 34 mineworkers when she said the SAPS should not be sorry for their actions and now they have gone ahead and started beating detainees. Will she say that they shouldn't be sorry for this too?

Phiyega must institute precautionary suspension for all members who have been linked to this police brutality pending the outcome of the investigation.

The officers involved should not be allowed to remain on duty if they are going to torture detainees.

There is complete anarchy in the SAPS if this has been allowed to happen and General Phiyega is largely to blame for her lack of leadership. She must act quickly and restore order before the situation gets worse.

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard MP, DA Shadow Minister of Police, August 26 2012

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