Question NW712 to the Minister of Police
05 June 2020 - NW712
Motsepe, Ms CCS to ask the Minister of Police
(a) What are the reasons he saw the need to apologise to members of the Muslim community who had breached the lockdown to curb the spread of COVID-19 regulations by congregating while such gatherings are prohibited and (b) why did he not see it appropriate to apologise to the households in the Eastern Cape where the SA Police Service officials kicked over drums of mqombothi and mocked the people’s ancestral rituals?
Reply:
- The Minister at the time apologised for what sounded on the video clip like derogatory remarks allegedly made by the arresting officers against the Islam Prophet Mohammed. It has however, since been established through departmental investigation (Mpumalanga SAPS) that the members were actually referring to one of the arrested congregants named Mohammed who was pointed out by his fellow congregants as the one who had convened the illegal gathering.
At no point did the Minister apologise for the arrest as in fact those congregants had contravened the COVID-19 Disaster Management Lockdown Regulations in relation to the prohibition of gatherings during the lockdown.
- In relation to the Eastern Cape question, once a crime is committed, in this instance the contravention of lockdown regulations, the location where such contravention occurs automatically becomes a crime scene. This status then allows police to confiscate or seize that which has been utilised by the alleged offenders during the commission of the crime or the contravention of the regulations, hence the alleged disposal of the traditional beer.
Approved/ not approved
GENERAL BH CELE, MP
MINISTER OF POLICE
DATES: 4/06/2020