DA strongly condemns police brutality on transgender woman

3 September 2020

Note to Editors: Please find attached soundbite in English & Afrikaans from Ofentse Mokae, MPL. 

The Democratic Alliance (DA) in the Northern Cape strongly condemns the alleged physical abuse of a member of the LGBTQI community by a SAPS official in August. We are further calling on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to accelerate its investigation into this shocking act of police brutality.

This comes after Siphamandla Mathabatha, in her attempt to report the physical abuse by her partner and his friend yesterday, experienced secondary trauma when a police officer at the Galeshewe Police station allegedly threw her to the floor because she was not wearing a mask upon her arrival. Mathabatha lost her mask during a domestic violence incident, after which she ran to the nearest police station to seek help, not further retribution.

Even more shocking is that the staff present at the station failed to step in and avert her further assault, instead laughing at the police officer’s act of transphobia.

This is completely unacceptable and intolerable.

Police officers are mandated to protect all South Africans, most especially the most vulnerable members of society. They should uncompromisingly serve communities without vicious bias towards people based on their sexual orientation. They are above all, meant to launch criminal attacks on the perpetrators of gender-based violence, not further, shameful attacks on the victims. At the same time, police stations are meant to be safe havens.

The DA makes an urgent appeal to Northern Cape Police Commissioner, Lieutenant General Risimati Shivuri, to ensure that the police officer and all those who were complicit in the attack at the station, are placed on precautionary suspension whilst the outcome of the IPID investigation is awaited.

No thugs deserve the honour of being dressed in blue. At the same time, no case of gender-based violence must be overlooked because of the unjustifiable bias of loathsome police officers.

The DA further commits to relentlessly assist Mathabatha to ensure that all her alleged attackers, including her partner and the involved SAPS officials, are brought to book and that justice is served. In this regard, we will also utilize the DA’s Court Watching Briefs to monitor the respective cases and advocate for justice for members of the LGBTQI community.

All lives matter, including the lives of members of the LGBTQI community.

Issued by Ofentse Mokae, DA Northern Cape Provincial Spokesperson on Transport, Safety & Liaison, 3 September 2020