A few months ago the residents of Ficksburg in the Free State went on a violent protest against lack of service delivery and incompetent officials. In an attempt to protect old ladies being blasted by a police water cannon Andries Tatane took off his shirt and stood in the way. The police response was to surround him, beat him, and shoot him (see the video on you tube). He died from his injuries.
The national response was one of shock and injustice at the obvious abuse of power by the police. In response, the police force quickly arrested the policemen involved and justice seemed to be taking its course. However, this did not stop comparisons being drawn between this situation and apartheid-era police tactics.
In the 1980s in South Africa some of the most horrendous human rights abuses took place when this country was essentially a police state. All over the country the townships were burning with protests and the response of the government was violence, murder and underhand tactics. It seems as if nothing has changed.
On Wednesday evening at 9.30 pm the main witness in the case against the police, Molefi Nonyane, was arrested on a charge of fraud allegedly committed 5 years ago. The timing of this arrest is very questionable even if Mr Nonyane is guilty. This stinks of a rotten police force intimidating citizens and protecting their own.
We have great cause for concern about our country returning to a police state.
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