Watch: Traffic officer filmed assaulting motorist slapped with ‘letter of intention to suspend’
Makhuduthamaga's mayor expressed shock and dismay over the incident and condemned it with the 'strongest possible terms'.
Image: Screenshot.
The Makhuduthamaga Municipality has signalled its intent to take action against the traffic officer who was seen assaulting a community member in a video that circulated on social media.
After confirming to The Citizen on Monday that it already launched an internal investigation on the incident – which occurred near a petrol station in Jane Purse, Limpopo, on Saturday – the municipality has now issued the traffic officer with a letter of intention to suspend pending the investigation.
The traffic officer is required to provide the municipality with a full representation within the next 48 hours on why he should not be suspended from work, according to the municipality’s spokesperson, Lemson Moropjane.
Makhuduthamaga mayor Minah Bahula expressed shock and dismay over the incident and condemned it with the “strongest possible terms”.
Bahula urged the municipal manager to act “expediently and decisively” and said she expected feedback on the matter “soon”.
“We wish to apologise to the public. The incident portrays a bad image and bring our municipality into disrepute. It is not like our municipality to behave like that.
“In our more than 20 years of existence as a local government, this is the first incident of this nature which not only belittle us, but also destroys our culture as the municipality .
“We hope the public understand the measure we have taken which is commensurate with this act,” said Bahula.
In a video circulating on social media, the traffic officer is seen slapping the motorist a number of times before tripping and pinning him to the ground.
The traffic officer is also heard saying “wa telela, wang ntlwaela“, which suggests that he may received or felt disrespected. The altercation allegedly started after the traffic officer pulled over the man for drunk driving.
Limpopo Jane Furse, this is pure assault,
Can we retweet until he is suspended, ????♂️@SAPoliceService
@IPID_ZA pic.twitter.com/zrqCDPtJXA— Mopedi_thwii (@kemodidi) October 4, 2020
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