EXCLUSIVE | Some public order police implicated in graft

CCTV footage of Arbee Drive, oThongathi CBD

OTHONGATHI - Disturbing claims of rampant police corruption and misconduct are emerging in oThongathi, on the KwaZulu-Natal North Coast.

Last week, a man was assaulted, allegedly by a group of public order police sent to the province, as part of reinforcements during the election period.

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Business owners in the area have also implicated the same officers in claims of extortion.

CCTV footage shows a police team conducting a raid on Arbee Drive in the oThongathi CBD a week ago.

But, the situation deteriorates very quickly, without any visible reason.

Siphamandla Dlamini, in a red shirt, is pushed and shoved by police officers.

Soon after, the group drops him to the ground and violently assaults him.

Dlamini identified his attackers as part of the national Public Order Policing team - deployed to KZN recently during the election period – by their accents, vehicles and what they said.

John Hasiso, said, "He looked in the cashier and saw money and he took all our stuff out. You want us to arrest you or do you want to give us money? Then only we have that time one thousand rand. They took it themselves not that I gave it to them."

Hasiso owns several businesses in the oThongathi area.

He claims the POP members threatened him with arrest for frivolous reasons at his store recently.

"We don’t have problems. 2009 until today I’m still working here, I don’t have problems with the police, with the community, we are living together, no problems."

He said, "They don’t speak our language here for Zulus, I don’t understand what they are talking. They say they came from Gauteng, don’t play with us."

This CCTV footage was recorded at another store raided by the POP team in the CBD just over a week ago.

The shop owner tries to show the officers receipts for his goods.

Despite this, all his cigarettes are loaded into bin bags and confiscated.

His employees told eNCA the police members demanded R7000, but since he only had R1000, he was arrested.

In the same store, a POP officer is also seen allegedly trying to solicit a bribe from an employee who was unable to produce refugee documentation.

After a lengthy conversation, the officer points at a shelf… The employee places something there. The officer retrieves it, pockets it and walks out.

The store employees allege it was a bribe of R300.

Perhaps the most alarming aspect of all of this, is the location.

The majority of the affected businesses are all around the Tongaat Police Station – an area which should, theoretically, be the safest.

Yet, across the road, shop owner Markas Wanore, says he feels anything but safe.

He said, "I’m scared, I’ve got two brothers who work here they are scared also, they are not coming here, that’s why I keep myself here."

His anxiety stems from his four encounters with the POP members – three in his store, and one on the road.

"They came here saying everything is fake, inside the shop cigarettes whatever. Everything is fake. They are looking for money. They are not playing with us. They came from JHB, they are not from Tongaat police or something like that."

Wanore said, "They took everything if I don’t have money … I’ve been here since 2010 and I don’t have a problem like that before.

Same people, there is no number plates on their car, the POP, they are using an H1."

Dlamini, the assault victim, and the business owners have all opened cases which are under investigation.

Brigadier Jay Naicker, SAPS spokesperson, said, "Three people have come forward and criminal cases have been opened. We have contacted IPID to take over the investigations and naturally if it is police officers from outside their commanders will also be informed so that disciplinary investigations can also be instituted."

Naicker says the provincial commissioner is outraged by the allegations of misconduct and has instructed that investigations are expedited.

He said, "So criminal cases have been opened as I have indicated so stemming from that investigation once the culprits are identified we will run parallel investigations in terms of our disciplinary regulations so those police officers will be identified and they will be charged in terms of our disciplinary regulations."

The local community policing forum is concerned about the claims and says it usually enjoys a good working relationship with the Tongaat SAPS.

Tongaat CPF's Suresh Ramsahai said, "These are allegations which must be investigated by the SAPS. The thing is if these cops are guilty of the charges they need to be charged and dismissed because we work hand-in-hand with the SAPS and we work with the community, we want to work as a team with the SAPS."

"We don’t need these types of incident in Tongaat especially now when we are hit with this tornado. They were here to protect and serve us, that’s their goal,  if they are breaking the rules they need to be brought to book."

Ramsahai says any police officers deployed to the area need to work closely with local structures to prevent such problems.

He said, "In order for the steps to achieve what they want, they need to partner with the community and fight the crime together. We cannot have this type of behaviour in our community. It breaks the law and the community department away from each other and then we are going to have an issue where they will be looting and fighting and killing taking place because everybody will be against each other so what I, what is my suggestion is, if SAPS wants to do something they need to check with the CPF as well, come join us, get our feedback. Let us join them because we know our local community members. We can talk to them and if there’s a problem, defuse the problem in the community instead of taking this thing further and having these issues that we don’t need at the moment."

Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya says his team will also assist with rooting out the rogue cops if called upon to do so.

Hawks head Godfrey Lebeya said, "If it is conducted by the IPID, it will conduct its own independent investigation but where they need our assistance we will be available so the amount involved usually dictates which entity is most suitable to investigate that kind of either extortion or corruption."

The additional police officers – some of whom are implicated in these cases – were deployed to the province before 29 May election amid fears of instability.

About 1,500 POP members are expected to remain in the city until further notice.