Letterscolumn

An old monster

SIR – I am still haunted by the cries of the women who were present when they recorded the video of a naked man being assaulted by police officers in Cape Town.

Mainly because it stirs emotions that many of us are struggling to forget because in the recent past, similar behaviour was very common by those purporting to have changed; asking that we vote them into power. Clearly a leopard never changes its spots.

For more than 300 years, we had no peace when our rights and human dignity were violated in this fashion. Shocking as it was, one of them even threatened the petrified women with arrest for shouting against the police brutality.

More troubling is the fact that these acts by rotten and unrehabilitated officers puts the entire integrity of the police into disrepute.

The diligence and hard work of the many decent, dedicated officers has simply been thrown into the dustbin by those who fail to adhere to our Constitution. Stressful as police work may be in our country, it still doesn’t give any person the right to undress and humiliate others. Yet, there are many successful stories of good policework that can be told.

Many professional officers protect the borders of this country, they prevent the wholesale supply of drugs from Sao Paulo, unmask paedophiles and suppress and pre- vent terror activities by extremist militants of whatever political persuasion.

The speedy resolution of this matter has at least sent a message that such naive behaviour will not be tolerated. I salute the courageous act of those women who risked their own lives to expose the culprits.

SELLO MATSIE (in my personal capacity)