Police brutality in Stellenbosch
Mar. 24th, 2008 07:28 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
nairiporterCops charged for 'brutal' raids
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080311151516601C929145
Four charges have been laid against police after they allegedly brutalised patrons and owners of three Stellenbosch clubs and pubs during anti-drugs raids at the weekend.
Today police spokesperson Captain Elliott Sinyangana confirmed the charges but was unable to provide any details. He said police suspects had not yet been identified .
Matie students and other young Stellenbosch residents who were at Die Mystic Boer, Bohemia and Springbok Pub on Friday night claimed that the raids had been violent and that they had been unnecessarily attacked by police.
Owners of the raided premises decided to lay criminal and civil charges against the police.
But police said the owners had been warned on several occasions at Liquor Board meetings to curb drug usage at their clubs, but that their warning had fallen on deaf ears.
Sinyangana said police had been following up several complaints from the community about bad behaviour in and outside the clubs.
One of these complaints was that people smoked dagga outside one of the clubs.
"At these Liquor Board meetings, the club owners are sensitised about the information that has come into the hands of police," he said.
"These were not just once-off talks. The police have raised concerns time and time again. These were warnings to the club owners."
Willem Coertzen of Die Mystic Boer said he had not been at the last Liquor Board meeting.
However, he said, the board had been generally happy with the club's conduct.
Ryan Tutt, manager of Bohemia, agreed. He said that while drug issues had come up at every meeting, the board had been happy with their response to the issue.
On Monday, the club owners held a meeting where it was decided that they would go ahead with criminal and civil action against police.
Coertzen said that during the raid in the early hours of Saturday morning, police had handcuffed him and a policeman had punched him in the face.
There are also claims that police fired shots into the ceiling at Bohemia and pointed guns in people's faces.
But Sinyangana said police reports after the raids indicated only that a stun grenade had been fired in one club.
"If there is evidence, it must be brought to the attention of the station commander and then it will be looked at."
Coertzen said the atmosphere in the town was still tense and that the incident had tainted the relationship be-tween students and police.
"I've been doing this for 11 years and never in my life have I been assaulted and told it's 'standard procedure'. Kids are not supposed to be subjected to such force," he said.
George De Beer of Honey Attorneys confirmed that three of the clubs would be claiming damages and that there were already 100 claimants.
http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=15&art_id=vn20080311151516601C929145
Four charges have been laid against police after they allegedly brutalised patrons and owners of three Stellenbosch clubs and pubs during anti-drugs raids at the weekend.
Today police spokesperson Captain Elliott Sinyangana confirmed the charges but was unable to provide any details. He said police suspects had not yet been identified .
Matie students and other young Stellenbosch residents who were at Die Mystic Boer, Bohemia and Springbok Pub on Friday night claimed that the raids had been violent and that they had been unnecessarily attacked by police.
Owners of the raided premises decided to lay criminal and civil charges against the police.
But police said the owners had been warned on several occasions at Liquor Board meetings to curb drug usage at their clubs, but that their warning had fallen on deaf ears.
Sinyangana said police had been following up several complaints from the community about bad behaviour in and outside the clubs.
One of these complaints was that people smoked dagga outside one of the clubs.
"At these Liquor Board meetings, the club owners are sensitised about the information that has come into the hands of police," he said.
"These were not just once-off talks. The police have raised concerns time and time again. These were warnings to the club owners."
Willem Coertzen of Die Mystic Boer said he had not been at the last Liquor Board meeting.
However, he said, the board had been generally happy with the club's conduct.
Ryan Tutt, manager of Bohemia, agreed. He said that while drug issues had come up at every meeting, the board had been happy with their response to the issue.
On Monday, the club owners held a meeting where it was decided that they would go ahead with criminal and civil action against police.
Coertzen said that during the raid in the early hours of Saturday morning, police had handcuffed him and a policeman had punched him in the face.
There are also claims that police fired shots into the ceiling at Bohemia and pointed guns in people's faces.
But Sinyangana said police reports after the raids indicated only that a stun grenade had been fired in one club.
"If there is evidence, it must be brought to the attention of the station commander and then it will be looked at."
Coertzen said the atmosphere in the town was still tense and that the incident had tainted the relationship be-tween students and police.
"I've been doing this for 11 years and never in my life have I been assaulted and told it's 'standard procedure'. Kids are not supposed to be subjected to such force," he said.
George De Beer of Honey Attorneys confirmed that three of the clubs would be claiming damages and that there were already 100 claimants.
