Outrage over inhumane eviction
THERE was outrage and condemnation from various quarters of society at the behaviour of law-enforcement officials who dragged a naked man from his shack and then demolished it.
“My dignity was ripped apart by the city’s law-enforcement officers. I was dehumanised and put to shame in front of the whole world,” said Bulelani Qolani, as he recounted the event.
Bystanders took video footage, which went viral on social media. In it, officers are seen dragging Qolani from his shack and wrestling him to the ground.
Qolani’s shack and that of others in Empolweni in Makhaza, Khayelitsha, were being demolished by officials.
“What will my mother and children say when they see their father dragged like an animal ready to be slaughtered. I want my dignity back,” Qolani said.
When the officers arrived he was busy taking a bath.
Mayor Dan Plato said having watched the video of law-enforcement officers responding to an illegal land invasion in Khayelitsha on Wednesday, and the shameful treatment that Qolani was subjected to, “I want to make it clear that this is not the type of conduct that we tolerate in this city.”
Plato said they “immediately suspended” the four officers.
“While the investigation into the conduct of the officers and the circumstances surrounding the situation is ongoing, as the mayor of this city, I want to acknowledge that Qolani’s dignity was impaired and I am truly sorry for what he experienced,” Plato said.
“While evictions are not permitted under the lockdown, the courts, as well as the Human Settlements Minister, Lindiwe Sisulu have made it clear that municipalities across South Africa have a duty to prevent illegal land invasions.”