Mother manhandled by guards in front of child
Security staff suspended and charged
Three security guards caught on camera accosting a Cosmo City, Randburg, woman have been suspended and are facing charges of assault and sexual harassment.
The video was uploaded to Facebook on Saturday and shows Thandi Chaparadza‚ 28, being pushed to the floor and handcuffed inside the Shoprite Usave store in Cosmo City in northern Johannesburg.
The incident took place in full view of her three-yearold daughter‚ Lara‚ who can be seen on the video trying to grab her mother’s arm as the guards struggle with her.
One of the security guards‚ according to Gauteng MEC for community safety Sizakele Nkosi-Malobane who visited the victim and the store yesterday, had been handed over to police and would be charged.
The company the other two guards work for was also asked to hand over their employees, a man and a woman.
Chaparadza said she was shouted at by the woman after her daughter had suddenly needed to attend to a call of nature while she was queuing to buy electricity.
“I explained to my little one that she would have to wait a little bit‚ but suddenly she ran outside and pushed her pants to one side. I was so shocked and embarrassed‚ I just grabbed a paper and put it underneath her‚” she said.
“But she ended up not doing anything.”
It was at this point the security guards approached her‚ and began scolding her.
“Eventually I became angry‚ and shouted back. I walked away and went inside the Usave because I still had to buy some things‚ and the woman followed me inside‚ this time accompanied by another security‚ a man.”
The video that emerged‚ showing how Chaparadza was accosted and her daughter crying and trying to cling to her mother‚ showed only the end of the incident.
Chaparadza said she had tried to explain the incident to her daughter‚ but the child did not understand and was very shaken.
“I am still very angry. But also thankful to everyone, including the MEC who has supported me and come here to help‚” Chaparadza said.
The man who posted the video‚ Thabiso Phinda‚ said in his post he had accompa- nied Chaparadza to the police station across the road to open a case.
Nkosi-Malobane said friends on social media had forwarded her the video and asked if she could intervene.
She said the owners of the Moscow Centre had apologised to Chaparadza and issued a public apology.
“We are still waiting for Shoprite to come and apologise to her‚ and issue a public apology.”
The centre management said the incident was “unfortunate and regrettable”, and that the guards involved had been suspended.