Saftu shocked & disgusted over alleged police assault on SAPU President
JOHANNESBURG – The South African Federation of Trade Unions (Saftu) says that it is shocked and disgusted after the president of the South African Policing Union (SAPU) Mpho Kwinika was assaulted allegedly by officers at the Sunnyside Police Station.
According to Saftu, Kwinika was arrested at the weekend and attacked by at least eight police officers.
The federation claims that Kwinika was handcuffed for what it has described as trumped-up charges and assaulted without provocation.
Saftu’s general secretary Zwelinzima Vavi said they have written to President Cyril Ramaphosa demanding an investigation into the matter.
“To establish a board of inquiry to look at whether the SAPS and its top brass have not been involved in similar activities that were uncovered by another test team [High-Level Review Panel on the State Security Agency] that looked at the nefarious activities of the intelligence services of our country.”
Meanwhile, the national police spokesperson Vish Naidoo insists police acted within the confines of the law.
“They were in the process of effecting an arrest and they were subject to abuse, assault, and ridicule. One of the officers even had alcohol thrown on his face at the time he was affecting the arrest.”