A video of a family man ill-treated by Western Cape law enforcers has gone viral.
The video shows a naked adult man being dragged out of his shack house by a number of law enforcers. They forcefully and violently manhandle him before they throw him on the ground and press their knees on his naked body. He wrestles out of their control and energetically runs back into his shack. At that stage, the law enforcers demolish the shack while the man is inside it.
It is only a Black person who could be dehumanised like that in this world. Global racism has normalised the dehumanisation of the Black person to such an extent that everyone who views the video will start by the default assumption that the gentleman must have broken the law. They will assume that he must have been pursued for drugs or robbery. They will find fault with him for resisting arrest and assaulting law enforcement officers.
Nobody will question the police for dragging a naked man out of his house into the open to be viewed by his neighbours and children. How should the gentleman’s family and children feel when they see their father treated like that? Nobody will see how the gentleman was assaulted and wrestled to the ground. Nobody will wonder why the gentleman freed himself and ran back into the cover of his shack.
Those who know better say the land on which the shack is erected belongs to the City of Cape Town. But there is a court order which allows the shack dwellers to remain there until after the Lockdown. However, any further shack building is prohibited.
It is not immediately clear whether or not the gentleman is covered by the court order. Whatever the situation, the gentleman’s fundamental right to dignity has been violated.
We are told that the gentleman was bathing and getting ready for his 15h00 work shift when the law enforcers pounced on him. It is possible that he was refusing to get out of his shack to allow for its demolition. They allegedly attacked him with pepper spray on his face and private parts.
But which law says a human being must be dragged out of his house naked? Which law says a house can be demolished on their occupants?
We demand answers. An investigation has been promised by the authorities who are in charge of the law enforcement officers. But the political and command principals of the law enforcers must provide the answers and take responsibility for the actions of their agents. The gentleman deserves proper compensation and an apology for his dehumanisation.
