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- Three SAPS officers have been arrested for assaulting a barber at his workplace in Mowbray, Cape Town.
- The officers appeared in court on charges of torture after beating up Juma Igiranieza to obtain information from him in November 2023.
- The accused did not plead and were released on unopposed bail of R2 000 each.
Three SA Police Service (SAPS) members appeared in the Wynberg Magistrate's Court on charges of torture on Tuesday.
Colonel Delmore Manuel, Constable Jermaine Conradie and Constable Leigh-Ann Maroon were arrested by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) on Monday afternoon in Mowbray, Cape Town, according to GroundUp.
This comes more than five months after Juma Igiranieza, a barber, was assaulted at his workplace, Perfect Touch Boutique and Salon, in Mowbray on 7 November 2023.
GroundUp published CCTV footage on 10 November showing several officers, one in plain clothes, assaulting Igiranieza.
In the footage, at least two officers participate directly in the assault, while other police officers appear unconcerned.
Igiranieza was pummelled, struck repeatedly with a wooden device, and smothered with plastic.
Magistrate Goolam Bawa said he was seldom shocked at the types of charges brought to his courtroom, but he was shocked by the charges against the officers.
They are charged with unlawfully and intentionally committing torture by "assaulting the complainant, Igiranieza, with fists, a baton, pepper spray and a plastic bag in order to obtain information from him".
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The accused did not plead and were released on unopposed bail of R2 000 each, on condition that they refrain from contacting or communicating with Igiranieza and from going to Station Road in Mowbray, where the incident took place.
The case was postponed to 7 June for further investigation.
Asked what the consequences could be for the officers in terms of their careers, Western Cape police spokesperson Frederick Van Wyk said: "It is our policy to conduct a departmental investigation following any misconduct or criminal investigation against a member of the SAPS. However, this is an internal process between the employer and the employee and [will be] dealt with as such. Due process regarding disciplinary actions is under way."
