Stop Beating Suspects: It's Barbaric And An Infringement On Their Rights: The South African Example

Everybody knows that in Ghana, when someone shouts “thief” it means trouble for the alleged suspect. If that suspect is not lucky and he/she is caught by the people…..one of my friends, Nana Akua Mframa of Nana Kudi's Temple Kumasi would say in local jargon “BEATINGS BE WHAT”?

Should suspected law breakers i.e thieves be subjected to instant justice when collared by the people? What is the reason behind mass assaults of suspects? All over Africa, this is a canker that must be nib in the bud. In many cases, suspects have met their untimely death from careless assaults inflicted on them via cutlass wounds, blocks and anything people can lay their hands on. Isn't it too harsh for the citizens to take the laws into their own hands and subject suspects to beatings? Are there no laws stipulating what has to be done when there is a probable cause for the citizens to shout and draw attention to the presence of a thief?

Such barbaric behavior by the public have led to many casualties where innocent people suspected of having committed a crime have been killed. In such cases, shouldn't the law enforcing officers arrest somebody for prosecution?

Our article today has been inspired by an incident of illegal arrest and assault in South Africa of a suspected thief by two security guards ( watchmen) captured on video and has been condemned by the South African government.

Here is the story for your perusal:

All citizens have the right to human dignity as well as access to justice and the protection of the law, Zuma said on Wednesday.

Zuma was reacting to the assault of 49-year-old Ester Mankge in Limpopo which was reported on Tuesday. They filmed the assault.

“Regardless of alleged crime, all citizens have an inalienable right to human dignity as well as access to justice and the protection of the law,” Zuma said.

Matthew Makofane, Maria Mahlaela, Gladys Maphanga, Refilwe Mzimba and Thabang Makuwa, all employees at a clothing shop in Jane Furse, allegedly assaulted Mankge in October, after accusing her of stealing a packet of underwear.

Makofane and Mahlaela were granted bail of R500 each by the Nebo Magistrate's Court, on Tuesday. Maphanga, Mzimba and Makuwa would remain in custody because of previous assault allegations.

Zuma welcomed the arrests of the accused and appealed for the law to be allowed to take its course.

On Tuesday, Limpopo police said three of the accused were linked to a similar crime involving young children.

“The employees allegedly beat children with sjamboks last year for allegedly stealing from the shop,” Brigadier Hangwani Mulaudzi said at the time.

“Following a tip-off we found a video of a woman being beaten with a rubber hammer. We located the victim and opened a case against the five employees.” The two men in the group allegedly beat the woman with various objects while filming it.

The Daily Sun newspaper uploaded the video to their YouTube account on Monday.

“The incident happened in October last year but the woman never opened a case until someone notified the police of the video,” Mulaudzi said.

A case was opened on April 8. All five were arrested last week.

The group was expected to appear in the Nebo Magistrate's Court on April 22 on charges of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm. – Sapa