It is a major disaster to spend more than two billion rand in damages (“Police shell out over R2,2 billion in civil claims”, May 20, 2024) when in fact our police department is under-resourced in any event.
Furthermore, I believe that two billion rand for the wrongful arrest and detentions is just the tip of the iceberg.
The police must have spent hundreds of millions of rands on legal fees in trying to defend these claims.
The only way we are going to tackle this properly is by making the actual policemen who did the wrong, culpable. We need to start dismissing grossly negligent policemen and also hold them personally accountable.
* Michael Bagraim, Highlands Estate.
** The views expressed here are not necessarily those of Independent Media
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