A government led by freedom fighters who helped to liberate the country more than 30 years ago is now overseeing a police force accused of staggering abuses.The New York Times reports that a government, led by freedom fighters who played a crucial role in liberating South Africa more than 30 years ago, is now facing accusations of overseeing a police force that has committed staggering abuses. During the apartheid era, the white-led police force was notorious for using brutal interrogation tactics, including suffocation with plastic bags, to terrorize Black people. However, after apartheid ended, South Africa adopted a constitution that explicitly banned such torture methods and signed international treaties to prevent it.
Despite these commitments, a recent analysis by The New York Times in collaboration with Viewfinder, a South African journalism nonprofit, has found that the police in South Africa continue to use the same suffocation method, known as tubing, during interrogations. The analysis of government data from 2012 to 2023 revealed that an average of three people per week filed complaints of being tubed by the police.
This finding is a stark contradiction to the promise made by the government, led by the African National Congress (ANC), to not repeat the atrocities of the country’s former oppressors. Khulu Mbatha, a veteran of the ANC, expressed shock and disappointment upon learning of the findings, stating that the leadership of the party made it clear that no one should be subjected to such torture.
The revelation of ongoing police brutality in South Africa is a reminder of the country’s troubled past and the need for accountability and reform within the police force. The government must take immediate action to address these abuses and ensure that the promise of a free and just society is upheld for all citizens.
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