BAD BOYS: Minister of police was made to pay damages
DIRTY cops are costing South African taxpayers big time.
In a recent case, the Gauteng High Court in Pretoria ordered the minister of police to pay a volle R420 000 in damages to Salthiel Langa and R490 000 towards his wife, Zanele Langa.
The conduct of police officers came under scrutiny when the Langas were pulled over by police in an incident dating back to October 2020.
Hubby Salthiel was arrested non-charge of reckless driving, his wife for trumped-up charges of interfering with the SAPS for doing their work.
During the ordeal, the couple were pepper sprayed and insults hurled at the wife were so vieslik that the court interpreter refused to translate the words.
Both had to spend a night in a police cell at Kameeldrift Police Station before they were allowed to go home the next day.
The pair were so affected by their ordeal that both still suffer from post-traumatic stress disorder.
The couple instituted separate claims for damages against the police for unlawful arrest and detention, and for assault.
Judge Portia Phahlane, who accepted the evidence of the couple as true, was so critical regarding the conduct of the three officers involved that she directed that a copy of her judgment be referred to IPID, the minister of police as well as to the commissioner for the investigation of the three constables - who denied any wrongdoing.
After footage to the incident was played in court of the incident, when asked in court why she swore at the woman, Constable Lucia Dibeila simply answered: “I was bored and irritated by her.”
Payouts of claims after illegal arrests by the SAPS for the duration of former police minister Bheki Cele’s term – from 2018 to June this year – amounted to more than R2.4 billion, AfriForum said in September last year.
The civil rights organisation said that from 2023 up to September last year, payouts of at least R600 million were made. Compared to payouts made in 2018/2019, 2019 payouts showed an increase of almost 70%.
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