Appreciate the roll of the media

CYRIL FARR writes:

I read with interest last week’s heated comments from EMPD spokesman, Chief Supt Wilfred Kgasago, in response to recent allegations of police brutality.

Using very strong language in condemnation, he made several valid points which illustrated that there are often three versions, your version, my version and the truth.

It is correct that the public are often guilty of provoking the police and twisting the truth. However, in castigating Express and the public, Supt Kgasago doesn’t seem to appreciate the role of the media in a modern democracy like ours.

The Supt is one of the better spokespersons as, unlike many others, he is generally available to comment. The problem with spokespersons in general is that they are not impartial interlocutors.

I have noticed that in some past responses by him that he automatically accepts as gospel truth what officers accused of improprieties tell him. Does he expect a rogue officer to meekly roll over and admit any culpability? Of course not.

They will invariably claim they were totally blameless and the victim was the culprit. In the instances that he referred to the complainants may well have been at fault, but he should realise that the media has a duty to report on any serious accusations of excesses by officialdom, without fear nor favour, and naturally without pre judging guilt.

They should refer to the relevant department for comment, whose spokesman, one would hope, would also be impartial, and merely give his officer’s side of the story, withholding personal judgement until an inquiry or court judgement.

It is ridiculous for Supt Kgagaso to say that if a case is thrown out of court that the police should not be considered to be blameless. Simply put, the NPA will only throw a case out if they think there is definitely not enough concrete evidence to secure a conviction, or on a gross technicality of police incompetence during the arrest.

There have been many instances of police brutality such as the horrific Mido Macia case of SAPS thugs dragging him behind a police van causing his terrible death. Also Andries Tatane being beaten to death in Ficksburg by brutal cops.

Such brutality is not specific to South Africa. Police in the USA have been responsible for a spate of horrific killings of African American unarmed victims, and their spokesmen also instinctively absolved them. Such horrific incidents make it the absolute duty of the media to report on any alleged police brutality so as to protect the vulnerable public.

Then let justice take its course to prove or disprove guilt. If it wasn’t for the press we wouldn’t even know about many shocking police abuses such as the Macia and Tatane incidents. So let the media do their work unhindered by biased criticism.

Incidentally, what is this recent propensity to arrest motorists for traffic offences? Travelling at 114km/h in a 80km/h zone is hardly breakneck speed. Is the object of such draconian arrests and hand-cuffing which humiliate offenders, to display the traffic police’s power over the public?

Arrest the lunatics who travel at 200km/h plus and don’t clog up the justice system. Which is probably the reason the NPA so often throws out so many cases. The SAPS and metro police divisions should actually welcome press reports of alleged excesses so that rotten apples in their midst can be weeded out and punished, thus preserving the reputation of the great majority of good cops.

If allegations are baseless they have the right of reply and offenders who perjure themselves in court by lying about the incident are committing a serious punishable offence.

Of course we must support the many brave police officers who don’t abuse their power, perhaps even show our support and gratitude by regularly delivering a cake to the local charge office.