Political parties condemn road rage attack by Knysna police officer

01 Feb 2016 | Admin Author

The DA and ANC have reacted strongly and condemned the shooting of a motorist allegedly by a Knysna policeman in an apparent road rage attack.
Southern Cape police spokesman Captain Bernadine Steyn said yesterday the 42-year-old policeman was arrested in Fitcherd Street, Knysna, on Saturday night after the shooting.
Algoa FM has reliably learnt that the alleged victim's name is Malamoela Bennett, 31. He is currently in a stable condition at George Hospital.
According to Steyn, at 8:10pm on Saturday an accident occurred on the corner of Mbetani and Chungwa Streets in Khayalesathu-South, Knysna.

"It is alleged that the victim reversed his bakkie from the pavement into the road and in front of the oncoming green Mazda bakkie. The owner of the Mazda bakkie, who is an off-duty sergeant based at Knysna SAPS, allegedly took out a firearm and shot the victim in the chest."

"A follow-up investigation confirmed that the firearm that was used during the incident was stolen earlier the same evening at Knysna Police station. The circumstances surrounding the theft incident is unclear and being investigated," Steyn said.
The policeman will appear on attempted murder and theft charges in the Knysna Magistrates Court this morning.
Police have recently come under the spotlight for a spate of incidents involving alleged police brutality.

Nadia Ferreira, the principal communications officer for the Western Cape Health department in the Eden District, said yesterday said the victim had been admitted to the men's ward at George Hospital on Saturday.
"He received a gunshot wound to the chest and he is in a stable condition. He is sitting up and talking normally."
She said the hospital would not allow the media to interview Bennett until he had been released from hospital, but she could not say when this would be.

Last week, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) revealed that a North West police officer had been arrested for allegedly assaulting a man in Setlopo Village in Mahikeng, and dragging him alongside a police vehicle.
The man, a court interpreter at Molopo Magistrate's Court, was called over to the police vehicle after speaking to a boy who had allegedly been harassed by the same officers moments earlier.
A 36-year-old sergeant was arrested.

Earlier this month, Mozambican taxi driver Emidio Macia was handcuffed to a South African police patrol van and dragged along the street on Tuesday. A witness filmed the assault.
Macia died in the local police station's cells later.

Reacting to the Knysna shooting yesterday, Dan Plato, the minister for community safety in the Western Cape government, said: "I am happy to see that police action was swift on this matter and that the alleged suspect was arrested shortly after the incident. The law must now take its course."

ANC spokesman for the Southern Cape, Putco Mapitiza, yesterday condemned the shooting.
"We condemn the behaviour by the police. We appeal to the ministry of police to investigate this unsocial behaviour and conduct by the police with number of incidents reported countrywide. We call upon ministry to intervene and speedily ensure that IPID effectively play its role," he said.

"We invite police unions and management to forge a partnership to educate their members [about such shootings]."

Article: John Harvey