What a cowardly disgraceful act by the local SAPS on late Friday afternoon 10 May.
More than ten fully armed SAPS members arrived in four vehicles at Khosa Sports Club and entered the pub.
They clearly were out to do just one thing and that is to arrest someone! They inspected the liquor license as a pretence, but it was as clear as daylight that they knew of some small clause of the liquor act that may warrant them to make an arrest (obviously to make their stats look good)!
That clause apparently states that a bartender must be registered as such with the Liquor Board, which I bet very few establishments know of.
They promptly arrested our beloved bartender (Dan) who had been an employee of the club for donkey years!
Questions that I need to have answered from the Commanding Officer in Krugersdorp are as follows: Sir, why in excess of ten fully armed men entering a respected sport establishment? Surely one or two of your men would have been enough and the constructive thing would have been to merely communicate to the bartender that he should registered. Why late on a Friday afternoon? I know because they knew very well that if a spot fine of R1 500 is not paid our bartender would have spend the weekend in jail! Again why so many armed men?? Violent sports club? No wonder your wonderful men are never available when real crime is committed!
Hope you are proud of the wonderful way your resources and assets (vehicles) are wasted concentrating on “soft targets”!
They (your men) failed to produce an example of the registration document that apparently is required or an extract from this clause. They did not even bother to read our bartender his rights! In addition, Sir, his arrest was unlawful!
He is merely an employee of the Club Committee! How on earth can he be arrested? Does the SAPS expect that a employee of a sport establishment should know the law?
f anyone was at fault then surely its the committee and I am very sure that if this was a requirement it might have been just a small oversight by them! No Sir, what happened is a disgrace! Then everyone ask why we don’t trust the SAPS? No Sir, this behaviour was despicable and wont help citizens to trust and believe in you. I wrote this letter in my personal capacity and the content does not represent or echo the sentiments of the Club Committee.
* Colonel Enslin of the Krugersdorp SAPS comments:
This police operation formed part of normal policing. Several operations were conducted on the day mentioned and the majority of the arrested persons admitted guilt by paying an admission of guilt.
