DA calls for immediate suspension of officers involved in Ballito child arrest
The party says regardless of the context or what led to the incident, the behaviour of the municipal officers was unacceptable.
The Chaka’s Rock father is seen trying to wrestle his child from the grip of two KwaDukuza municipality peace officers on Sunday, while the child screams hysterically.
The Democratic Alliance (DA) in iLembe, KwaZulu-Natal, has written to KwaDukuza municipal manager Nhlanhla Mdakane calling for the immediate suspension pending an investigation of the two officers who were caught on a video that went viral showing them allegedly trying to drag a screaming four-year-old child out of a local complex while his father tried to save him from “arrest”.
It was reported that the incident took place on Sunday morning at Chaka’s Rock complex.
DA councillor in the KwaDukuza municipality Tammy Colley said: “The child was devastated by the incident and could suffer further emotional trauma. It further shows a scuffle between an adult male who was allegedly arrested. Community members took to social media venting on how the arrest was made in the presence of a distressed child.”
Colley said regardless of “the context or what led” to the incident, “it is simply unacceptable for municipal officers to behave in this manner”.
“The DA has been consistently raising the issue of training, or lack thereof, of law enforcement officers with regards to their mandate. It seems that proper training on law enforcement and arrests are not taken seriously in this municipality,” Colley said.
The councillor said the DA would ensure that the matter was urgently dealt with “to ensure no one else has their rights infringed on by officers who lack knowledge of the law.
“A national state of disaster does not mean that the rights of citizens and especially vulnerable groups such as children are ignored and abused as we have seen in this incident.
“This thuggish behaviour is unacceptable and has no place whatsoever in a democracy. It is sadly, however, becoming more and more common as unreasonable lockdown restrictions persist, which leave citizens at the mercy of law enforcement officials.
“The DA will closely monitor this situation to ensure that the officers are held to account if found guilty.”
(Compiled by Makhosandile Zulu)
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