The EFF Western Cape has called on the provincial Commissioner of Police to suspend Brackenfell police who closed a case of assault that was opened last year after a member of the party was attacked during the Brackenfell High School protests.
EFF member Sibongile Nkasayi laid an assault charge against a man, who was captured on video hitting her with a baseball bat during the violent clashes.
In a video that was shared widely on social media, the man – who is sporting a buff and peak cap – can be seen carrying an object resembling a red baseball bat.
As EFF members and community members walked along the road, the man can be seen hitting Nkasayi at least twice with the bat.
A statement issued by EFF last week on Wednesday said Nkasayi had received an SMS from the police on Tuesday informing her that the case has been closed and that the docket would be reopened upon new leads.
“Our questions are how is it possible that the police are unable to track down a perpetrator who was caught on camera in broad daylight?”
“It is extremely concerning in the country’s post -apartheid era, the police and law enforcement are still biased towards white racists who continue to violate black people in the Western Cape.”
“As the EFF in the province we are not surprised because white privilege and racism are alive and well in the DA led Western Cape,” said the EFF in a statement.
In a letter to the Western Cape Commissioner of Police the EFF requested that the officers who handled the case be investigated, the EFF also called for the suspension of the Station Commander, Head of Detectives and the detective to whom the case was allocated.
“This inaction by the Brackenfell police raises suspicion that this case together with other similar cases have been closed because the Brackenfell police are protecting the perpetrator for the reason that he is white and privileged,” read part of the letter.
Following our public statement issued on 2 June, we have now written to the Western Cape Commissioner of Police to urgently intervene and suspend the Brackenfell police who have closed this case of assault @EFFSouthAfrica @Julius_S_Malema @GardeeGodrich @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/xiPHgxzD5y
— EFF_Western Cape (@EFFWesternCape_) June 8, 2021