By Staff Reporter

Premier condemns police brutality following arrest of Lomanyaneng sergeant 

  Police officers who think they are a law unto themselves and could with impunity undermine the rights of ordinary citizens should be reminded that they have no place for them in the South African Police Service (SAPS), North West Premier Thandi Modise said on Thursday.

“Though everyone is presumed innocent until proven guilty, Incidents of police brutality and violence unleashed on citizens by members of the police service have the potential to antagonise communities against the police and should be stemmed out before it’s too late. The culture of violence should not be allowed to take root in our police service as it would undermines democratic and accountable community policing that the culture of respect for human rights that our people yearned for,” emphasised 

 Premier Modise in response to the arrest of a Lomanyaneng Police Sergeant by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate(IPID).

Modise condemns alleged incident and comments the IPID on the arrest and says that the directorate’s impartiality and objectivity in their investigations gives hope that the days of police officials who have not yet internalised the philosophy of a democratic and accountable community policing in the dignified blue uniform are drawing to a close.

The Premier called on police officials who are still true to upholding the rights of citizens and the pledge to serve and protect communities to blow the whistle on the few rotten potatoes who are giving the police service a bad name.

The sergeant was arrested after allegedly grabbing a complainant by his neck and dragging him in a state vehicle for about 100 meters. The complainant had according to the IPID advised a boy whom he purportedly saw police harassing while on his way to tuckshop at around 8:30 pm in Setlopo village.

After the police had finished talking to the boy, the complainant had called the boy to advise him about what to do should he feel that he was treated badly by the police.  The victim who happens to be a court intepretor at Molopo Magistrates Court sustained injuries to his feet during the incident and was taken to hospital by his neighbour. The sergeant had allegedly asked him if he knew what police were capable of these days.

The case was reported to the police on Tuesday 12 March 2013 and they referred it to the IPID for investigation whereupon the suspect was arrested on Wednesday at Lomanyaneng SAPS where he works He was subsequently charged and will appear in the Mmabatho Magistrates Court tomorrow , Friday 15 March 2013.

Setlopo-North West police officer has been arrested for allegedly assaulting a man in Setlopo Village, Mafikeng, and dragging him with a police vehicle, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) said on Thursday.

The 36-year-old sergeant based at the Lomanyaneng police station was taken into custody while on duty on Wednesday, IPID spokesperson Moses Dlamini said.

Dlamini said that on 7 March two police officers were allegedly seen harassing a boy near the tuckshop in the area.

“After the police had finished talking to the boy, the complainant called the boy to advise him about what to do should he feel that he was treated badly by the police,” he said.

The man, a court interpreter at the Molopo Magistrate’s Court, said the same police officers called him to the police vehicle on the driver’s side to confront him about what he said to the boy.

“The driver grabbed the complainant by the neck and asked him if he knew what police were capable of these days. 

“The policeman allegedly drove off and dragged the complainant for about 100m,” said Dlamini.

The man suffered injuries to his feet and was taken to a hospital by his neighbour.

The matter was reported to police on Tuesday. It was later reported to the IPID.

The sergeant would appear in the Mmabatho Magistrate’s Court on Friday facing a charge of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

– SAPA

Port Elizabeth – The parents of Oscar Pistorius’s slain girlfriend Reeva Steenkamp are being evicted from their home, a month after their daughter’s death, the family said Thursday.

“They have been given notice on their home by the owners,” Reeva’s uncle Michael Steenkamp told AFP. “They are going to be vacating that house soon.”

Since their daughter was shot dead at Pistorius’s Pretoria home on Valentine’s Day, Steenkamp’s parents have retreated to their home in the southern coastal city of Port Elizabeth.

Michael Steenkamp said he was not sure of the reason for their eviction, but said the owner may want to sell the modest home, located in a quiet outlying coastal suburb.

Reeva Steenkamp, a 29-year-old model and law graduate, was known to help her parents out with money before her death. “Reeva did help her parents financially, that is true,” said Michael.

Lawyers have confirmed the family is considering a civil claim against Pistorius, a Paralympic sprint star.

Pistorius, 26, has admitted to firing several shots at her through a locked bathroom door at his Pretoria home in the early hours of February 14 but says he mistook her for an intruder.

Michael Steenkamp also confirmed that the family were planning to scatter Reeva’s ashes at Bloubergstrand, a beach outside Cape Town.

“That is what Reeva’s wishes were,” he said, adding that her grandfather’s ashes were also scattered there. – AFP

A Lesotho man appeared in the Taung Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday on charges of being an undocumented migrant, North West police said.

Brigadier Thulani Ngubane said the matter was postponed to March  20 and referred to the department of home affairs for further investigation.

Bongani Masito, 40, was arrested in Taung on Monday for being in  South Africa without the proper documentation.

Police suspected he was also connected to three murders committed in Lesotho. One of the murdered men was a United States citizen.

No further information on the murders were available.

Ngubane said the man was arrested on Monday evening by local police. Officials from the United States consulate and the Lesotho police went to Taung to identify him.

“The necessary application for extradition order is in progress.  Nevertheless the suspect briefly appeared before the Taung Magistrate’s Court today (Wednesday),” Ngubane said.

Masito will remain in custody until his next appearance.

Sapa

Cradock, Eastern Cape – A teenage girl has been raped on her way home from school outside Cradock, police said on Thursday.

This happened on Tuesday on the farm Karoo Waters, said Captain Stefanie Smith.

The 14-year-old girl was taken to a house where she was raped and held until the following day.

Smith said the girl knew the man, and he was expected to be arrested soon. – Sapa

Darren Mogany, 18, left, accused of raping a former classmate and of child pornography, a charge relating to a cellphone video clip, and his brother-in-law and co-accused Adish Deonarain, right, outside the Durban Regional Court

Durban – A Merebank teen, accused of rape and of child pornography after recording the alleged offence on his cellphone, has said the video clip was meant as a memento for his “personal use”.

Darren Mogany, 19, told Durban Regional Court magistrate Sharon Marks on Wednseday he did not intend to cause harm to the complainant, a former classmate with whom he had had previous sexual relations.

“I realised what the complainant and I did was wrong, and I wanted to end it. So I made a video as a remembrance. The purpose of the video was so that I could view it. I did not intend to cause her any harm,” Mogany said.

He testified that on July 30, 2010, the day of the alleged incident, the complainant came on to him. He said the complainant kissed him and unbuttoned his shirt before he partially undressed her and had consensual sex with her.

For more details go to www.iol.co.za

The police were embarrassed by the dragging of taxi driver Mido Macia behind a police van, Gauteng police commissioner Mzwandile Petros said on Thursday.

“As people who wear the police uniform, we are embarrassed by what happened…, but we have confidence in the judicial system regarding the matter,” Petros said.

Petros, Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa and Gauteng community safety MEC Faith Mazibuko were meeting with Daveyton residents following the death of Macia in police custody on February 26.

Earlier that day he was dragged behind a police van.

Petros said: “An abuse of power by police at any level should be reported. Abuse of power is not only brutality, but corruption as well.”

Complaints and concerns raised by the Daveyton community would be followed up.

“Incidents like these should not stop with condemnation. There should be condemnation and action,” Petros said.

Nine policemen accused of killing Macia were denied bail by the Benoni Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday.

Magistrate Sam Makamu said he felt it was not in the interests of justice to grant them bail. The matter would resume on April 12.

Delivering his ruling, Makamu said Daveyton residents could try to seek revenge on the accused.

He expressed concern at the prospect of sending the men back to their homes in this “unfavourable” climate.