MBABANE: Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo, the Secretary General of the Police Staff Association has urged junior police officers to stop brutalizing citizens but escort peaceful protestors.
Addressing officers on Monday through an audio that was shared on the Police Staff Association Whatsap group and this publication, Sergeant Khumalo said police officers learned a lesson after being stopped by their superiors from collecting responses from the Prime Minister’s Office.
The officers marched to the PM about two weeks ago, in demand for a salary increment, however, they were subsequently stopped from collecting responses last week.
Senior Superintendent Clement Sihlongonyane later responded by facilitating a warrant of arrest against Sergeant Khumalo merely for fighting for the rights of the junior officers.
“What happened to us opened our eyes, we now know and share the same pain with the people we have been brutalizing. After being stopped from marching to the Prime Minister to collect responses, we now feel the pain of being stopped from raising your grievances. Namuhla siyati, siyati kutsi kubuhlungu kangakanani kwekutsi ufune ku-voicer buhlungu bakho but kube nemuntfu lokuvimbelako,” said the Police Staff Association Secretary General.
Sergeant Khumalo told the police officers that, brutalizing citizens must stop with immediate effect.
“We must stop brutalizing protesting citizens officers, if a protestor has done something wrong like damaging property, we must arrest. The people are killing us because as police officers, we have been acting so foolish and created enmity between us and the citizens yet our mandate is to protest life and property. We know what to do if a protestor breaks the law not to assault them. We won’t rescued by these memorials, if people are protesting, we must be there to control and monitor the protestors not to damage property without assaulting them,”she said.
Reached for comments, human rights lawyer Thulani Maseko, the Chairperson of the MultiStakeholder Forum(MSF)welcomed the sentiments of the Police Association Secretary General(SG).
The MSF Chairperson said such sentiments are a promising step towards ending violence in the country and ensuring the protection of human rights.
“We welcome such sentiments from the Police Association Secretary General, it’s a promising step towards ending violence during protests and ensuring the protection of human rights,” said the MSF Chairperson.
Sergeant Dumsile Khumalo.