​SAnews.gov.za
The Gauteng Portfolio Committee on Community Safety has expressed concern at the alleged use of excessive force by Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers.
"Members of the Portfolio Committee expressed concern over the alleged use of excessive force by JMPD officers while restraining an alleged drunk driver to draw blood samples from her. The incident is alleged to have taken place at the Douglasdale police station over the past weekend," said the committee on Tuesday.
A video has emerged showing a woman screaming inside an office with people in uniform around her.
The committee acknowledged and welcomed the decision by the City of Johannesburg to institute an internal investigation into the matter and called for the city to take decisive and swift action should it be established that the officers acted against the law.
"The committee calls on law enforcement officers to be cautions not to infringe on the rights of civilians while performing their duties, as some actions may be viewed as a serious violation of human rights as entrenched in the Constitution of the country," said chairperson of the committee Mapiti Matsena.
The committee urged civilians to cooperate with law enforcement officers when they have reasonable grounds to suspect that they have acted against the law.
The committee, whose mandate is to provide oversight on the work of law enforcement agencies, said it will await the outcome of the internal investigation by the city.
The committee will further write to the MEC for Community Safety Faith Mazibuko to urge her to monitor and ensure the speedy finalisation of this investigation.