AfriForum reports Minister of Police to Public Protector
AfriForum today filed a complaint of abuse of power, maladministration, political blackmail and contempt of court against the Minister of Police, Nathi Mthethwa, with the Public Protector. The complaint arises from attempts by the minister and his representatives to outlaw AfriForum’s protest march against farm murders, despite a declaratory court order declaring that there was no legitimate reason in terms of which the march may have been prevented.
In the complaint Ernst Roets, Deputy CEO of AfriForum, states that based on the actions of the minister’s representatives it would not be farfetched to reach the conclusion that the minister has adopted a disinterested attitude towards farm murders, and that he is even prepared to actively take steps to prevent the public from drawing the attention to this catastrophe.
Less than 24 hours before the protest was to take place on 1 December 2012, the Tshwane Metro Police declared it an illegal march upon instruction received from the office of the Minister of Police, notwithstanding the fact that AfriForum already had to turn to the North Gauteng High Court to obtain a declaratory order allowing the march to proceed. AfriForum only received this order on 3 December. The date of 1 December was chosen for the march to commemorate Attie, Wilna and little Willemien Potgieter who had been murdered on their farm near Lindley in the Free State on 1 December 2010.
Ministerial representatives made several attempts to prevent this march from taking place. On one occasion, a representative, who refused to reveal his job description and give contact details, summoned Roets for a meeting stating that AfriForum should not expect to be granted an appointment with the national Police Commissioner to discuss farm murders if the organisation was not prepared to abandon its plans to protest against farm murders. ‘The minister’s spokesperson, Zweli Mnisi, also made no secret of the fact that we should not expect to be granted an appointment with the minister to discuss farm murders as long as we intend to draw attention to the problem through public protest action. This amounts to political blackmail by officials serving their political ideology at the expense of the public,’ Roets said.
Roets expressed his gratitude towards those who participated in the march and reassured them that the minister’s treating it as an illegal protest does not mean that it indeed was illegal, because the court had already ruled that it may proceed.