Gauteng police to refer alleged assault by officer on homeless man

A Gauteng police officer is being investigated for assaulting a homeless person in Randburg, Johannesburg.

The incident, which took place last month was witnessed by an SABC News reporter, who then reported the matter to the police.

The victim, Lash Waterson, alleges that two officers from Linden Police Station removed him and two others from the Pinegowrie Post Office precinct in Blairgowrie and one of them hit him with a broom.

The officers drove a marked South African Police Service vehicle with Linden Vospol written on it.

Waterson says, “It’s for the second time, he says we must move from there. He comes out of the blue and he hits me with a broom, understand, you can’t ask me to move and you want to hit me. It’s the second time, the first time, I was arrested, he just came into the cell and I was arrested and he arrested me, it’s the second time now. He’s from the Linden, I think he is the station commander. The one that hit me with the broom is the station commander.”

Waterson, who is visibly angry, says, “I don’t feel right because why me, I could act, but I respect, if it was not for that job or the powers that he has, he wouldn’t have done that. If he was a normal civilian, he wouldn’t have got out of the car, crossed this road and come and tell me I must move there.”

Another homeless person says, “I’m very upset, the guy is crying there he is very upset. I don’t know what we are going to do. He was very rude and I don’t understand why because he got a badge that it means he must speak to us like we are dirt. He came and swore at us there. He hit that boy with a broom. He’s still there very angry. No, I didn’t see his name but I think he is from Linden.”

Gauteng Police Spokesperson Brigadier Brenda Muridili has acknowledged that the allegations against the police officers are serious, “I am referring this to our Inspectorate, a section within the Provincial Office responsible for complaints against the police to register a formal complaint against the police. Police officers are expected to adhere to the SAPS Code of Conduct and Code of Ethics and this behaviour will not be tolerated by the Gauteng SAPS Management.”