Two siblings from Tsakani, Ekurhuleni, found themselves at the center of a tense and troubling encounter with the police on Saturday, 2 November. The incident began when a policewoman allegedly slapped one of the siblings inside the Tsakani Police Station charge office after they captured her on video. The officers later attempted to confiscate the phone used in the recording, leading the siblings to flee into the night in fear.
Since the incident, the siblings have reported seeing unmarked police cars patrolling their neighborhood, seemingly searching for them. “We don’t know what their intentions were,” one sibling said, adding that the officers passed by because they couldn’t identify them. Despite the fear, the siblings initially planned to report the matter at the police station the next day but ultimately chose not to after feeling unsafe.
Following intervention from Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi, a case was opened against the policewoman. The siblings also learned that the officer had filed assault charges against them. “Our conscience is clear. We didn’t touch her,” the brother said, explaining that the assault occurred off-camera when the officer demanded the phone. The video, they assert, shows they never physically engaged with her.
The incident has sparked public outrage, with Gauteng Police spokeswoman Dimakatso Nevhuhulwi calling the behavior of the officer unacceptable. “The SAPS code of conduct demands that all clients be treated with respect and integrity,” she said. Both the policewoman and the siblings have opened cases of assault and crimen injuria, with the matter now under investigation by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
