Morné van Gent, a deli supervisor of the new Roots Butchery in Ermelo, claims he was assaulted by members of a tactical response unit (TRU) on the instruction of a provincial traffic officer on 21 July. The Department of Community Safety and Security Liaison has since denied his allegations.

Van Gent told the Highvelder that he noticed a contingent of police in the area.

When he enquired about the situation from the TRU, a female traffic officer allegedly replied in her native tongue that they were there for him because he had stolen cattle.

Her answer was translated to him by one of the employees.

Van Gent says he told her to “voertsek” as he has never stolen cattle, and returned inside the butchery.

CCTV footage supplied how the traffic official accompanied the TRU members in full tactical gear enters the butchery through the back door.

Van Gent claims that they took him outside where four to five people began beating, kicking and pepper-sprayed him while yelling that he needed to apologise to the traffic officer.

The newspaper reached out to the police and the municipality to enquire whether they carried knowledge of the incident.

Captain Carla Prinsloo, the Ermelo police spokesperson, confirmed a case of common assault was opened.

Lizzy Suping, the spokesperson for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) says a case has been registered with them and they are investigating the matter.

Mandla Zwane, the spokesperson for the Msukaligwa Local Municipality in Ermelo, says the traffic official in question was not a local traffic officer, but from the provincial division. He stated, however, that they do have offices in Ermelo where these officers are stationed.

Zwane referred the paper to Moeti Mmusi, the Mpumalanga spokesperson for community safety, security and liaison.

Mmusi claims the law enforcers in question were patrolling the area when Van Gent began hurling insults at them and that they warned him to not interfere in police matters.

He claims Van Gent apologised and that the matter was resolved. He denies all claims that they had taken any action or assaulted Van Gent.

“We’ll await the outcome of the investigation,” says Mmusi.