The video showing how a man from an informal settlement in Khayelitsha was forcefully evicted from his shack by Metro police officers was hard to watch.
Khayelitsha shack dweller attacked in forceful eviction
Without context, it leaves you with knots of raging anger in the pit of your stomach. Even with background information, it is just very uncomfortable to watch.
The video shows a naked man dragged out of his studio shack by a team of more than 10 armed Metro law enforcement officers.
The man, absolutely slathered in shame and embarrassment, fought with everything he had to make it back into the shack and the video ends as the officers begin destroying the informal structure with him inside of it.
You can watch the full video below:
This is City of Cape Town’s explanation for what happened
The City of Cape Town, run by the Democratic Alliance (DA), issued a statement condemning the actions of the officers and revealed it was “in the process of suspending staff members pending further investigation and disciplinary procedures.”
The City’s executive director for Safety and Security, Richard Bosman, indicated that the suspension is necessary to ensure that the staff members who brutally dehumanised a Khayelitsha resident “are not targeted while on duty.”
What Bosman is saying, in not-so-many words, is that the anti-land invasion operations in Khayelitsha will continue for it is in the City’s commercial interests to remove the illegal land occupiers from its property.
Nowhere in the City’s statement was any sentiment shown to the man who was viciously manhandled by law enforcement officers.
Instead, the DA-run government stressed the frustrations it has faced with trying, on a daily basis, to evict residents of the Khayelitsha informal settlement.
“The CIty takes these allegations very seriously, and while our staff are subjected to very challenging circumstances while carrying out our anti-land invasion operations, which are to protect land earmarked or housing opportunities and other services, we will not condone violence of any nature by law enforcement staff.
“I have asked for facts to be gathered as a matter of urgency and that the investigation is concluded without delay,” Bosman charged.
Except, the 58-second video with perfectly-captured audio is enough context to understand everything the City needs to know about the officers’ conduct.
