IPID report into SASSA water cannon
No misconduct by police
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has found that no misconduct was committed by SAPS when a water cannon was used on a crowd of social grant recipients queueing outside the SA Social Security Agency (SASSA) in Bellville earlier this year.
In the report, seen by
GroundUp, IPID said that “there were no lesser interventions at the disposal of SAPS” to disperse a crowd refusing to move and that no complaints were received of injuries from the incident. It also said the water was specifically sprayed in the air and not directly at people and only for a short time.
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The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has found that no misconduct was committed by SAPS when a water cannon was used on a crowd of social grant recipients queueing outside the SA Social Security Agency (Sassa) in Bellville earlier this year.
In the report, seen by
GroundUp, Ipid said that “there were no lesser interventions at the disposal of SAPS” to disperse a crowd refusing to move and that no complaints were received of injuries from the incident. It also said the water was specifically sprayed in the air and not directly at people and only for a short time.
Ipid report clearing police in Sassa water cannon drama slammed
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Cape Town - A report by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid), clearing police of misconduct for the use of water cannons on people queuing outside South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices in Bellville, on January 15, has been criticized.
Social Development Minister Lindiwe Zulu was at the branch at the time, to assess the state of several Sassa offices, amid the termination of temporary disability grants (TDG) and care dependency grants in December 2020.
IPID commenced its investigation in February, following an outcry over the use of force by the Public Order Policing (POPs), in an attempt at queue management.
Ipid report clears cops of misconduct for use of water cannon on Sassa crowd
6 May 2021
The Ipid report, which the Mail & Guardian has seen, states that no injuries or complaints by individuals were lodged with Ipid following the incident at the Sassa office in Bellville.
South African Police Service (SAPS) police officers who used a water cannon to disperse a crowd outside the South African Social Security Agency’s (Sassa) Bellville office on 15 January have been exempted from any misconduct, an Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) report found.
The crowd that was dispersed was made up of elderly people and other beneficiaries of the Sassa temporary disability grant, who had to undergo medical reassessment before renewing their grants after the expiry in December 2020. This resulted in large crowds gathering outside the Sassa office in Bellville.
Cop nabbed for allegedly shooting wife in the face during argument
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Pretoria - A 36-year-old police warrant officer based at the Hebron police station in North West province faces an attempted murder charge for allegedly shooting his wife in the face.
Semausu Eddie Molobela appeared in the Ga-Rankuwa magistrate’s court on Wednesday after the that shooting happened on Tuesday, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) said in a statement.
“(Ipid) is investigating (a case of the) discharge of an official firearm as mandated by the Ipid Act. It is alleged that on Tuesday night the suspect had an argument with his 33-year-old wife. He allegedly shot the victim on her face,” the police watchdog’s national spokesperson Ndileka Cola said.