Police brutality: ICD asked to investigate attack-and-run

Yesterday afternoon, Stewart Robinson, the husband of DA Shadow Minister of Women, Youth, Children and People with Disabilities Denise Robinson MP, was the victim of a brutal assault by police officers. Mr. Robinson was pulled off the road, dragged out of his car, and hit in the face by police officers, who broke his glasses and shouted racial slurs at him. The police officers then drove off.

This is another dreadful incident of police brutality. It is a clear-cut case of power abuse and thuggery. Our thoughts are with the Robinson family after this horrible ordeal. I have requested that the police watchdog, the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), initiate an investigation as a matter of urgency.

Although the incident took place in Durbanville, we understand that the police officers involved were probably not from Durbanville Police Station. Witnesses managed to take down the registration plate of the vehicle, and we will ensure that this information is forwarded to the ICD. This should help to determine which officers are responsible. I contacted the ICD yesterday afternoon to report the incident and Mr. Robinson will also be opening a case with the ICD during the course of the day. We will, of course, carefully monitor the progress of this investigation.

This unfortunately is not an isolated incident, but is instead part of a broader trend of police exceeding and abusing their authority. Earlier today we saw reports of the alleged shooting of 23 year old sound engineer Nkosinathi Ntuli, allegedly at the hands of police officers in Pretoria. There have also been a number of high profile incidents over the course of recent months, including the arrest at gun point and assault of University of Cape Town student Chumani Maxwele by President Zuma's bodyguards. The ICD received over 5000 cases of police misconduct and criminality last year. The increase in police brutality that has occurred under Commissioner Cele is a most concerning development, and again illustrates the need for the ICD's remit and oversight powers to be extended. Currently only one in every ten ICD recommendations results in action being taken by the Police; it is this culture of anything goes that is responsible for the growing number of these disconcerting incidents involving police officers.

Statement issued by Dianne Kohler Barnard, MP, Democratic Alliance shadow minister of police, July 13 2010

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