Naked man bewilders Polokwane residents
Residents were left perplexed after a naked man was seen standing in the rain, with many thinking it was a prank.
POLOKWANE – On Friday, a man believed to be in his 40’s, was seen standing naked by the traffic lights in Landdros Maré Street.
BONUS and members of the community asked him his name and where he stays, but he just stood silently in the rain, shaking and refusing to respond.
Many thought it was a prank and therefore no-one reported the matter.
We spoke to Police Spokesperson, Lt Col Moatshe Ngoepe, on how one aught to act regarding incidents of public indecency.
“When people witness these kinds of situations in public, they should please report them as soon as possible.
“Most people regard these incidents as jokes or pranks but matters such as these must be taken seriously as they could traumatise children and is often done with the intent to shock, offend, or arouse.
“This is what we call ‘Public Indecency’, and it is indeed a crime.”
Ngoepe said police have been getting a lot cases such as this and most people who do this are usually intellectually-impaired. He said that the community should not treat this matter lightly, and should immediately report these disturbing incidents.
This is not the first time the city has been exposed to public indecency. In September last year, a homeless man was arrested after drawing the attention of the public after he was seen walking, exposing himself.
Read more here: Man behind bars for public indecency
Limpopo Social Development Media Liaison Officer, Adele Van Der Linde, told BONUS that when these people are arrested, they are usually checked and observed by professional doctors to see if there is something wrong with them.
“If there is something wrong with the individual mentally, the police usually transfers them to different centres with the consent of the family, if they do have any, so that they can get the necessary and proper help that they need.”
Ngoepe said this is a serious matter according to the law, and if reported immediately, action will be taken if and when necessary.
