Cape Town - South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) commissioner Chris Nissen says he was blocked by armed police officers during a scheduled visit to the Heidelberg police station.
Nissen had planned a visit to the station on Monday following alleged incidents of police brutality. Angry residents raised the alarm about the death of Henry Oktober following an alleged police assault and the alleged suicide of a detainee at the station last week.
Both incidents, which happened in the space of a week, are now being investigated by the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) who are expected to commence outreach action in the community on Thursday.
Nissen said he had visited the community after being alerted to the death of Oktober, 42, after allegedly being assaulted by police. He died in George Hospital days after his arrest.
“Shortly after learning of Oktober’s death, I was then also informed of the suicide of Jan Esau which occurred at the Heidelberg police holding cells. I then arranged to go to the community on Monday as residents were angry.
“I spoke to the cluster commander who was made aware of my plans to visit the community to intervene and engage with SAPS and community leadership. I was also in contact with the relief station commander on my way to the station on Monday,” said Nissen.
According to Nissen, while en route to the police station, he was informed of the community protesting outside. “The community were aware of the intended engagement and they congregated at the police station. I was told they were protesting at the station and burned tyres.
“I spoke to the leadership in the area to calm the group until an engagement took place. While making my way to the station I was called by the relief commander who told me of the protesting group. However when I got to the station and entered, a swarm of armed officers, with shields, tried to block me from entering,” Nissen said.
Nissen said he did not lodge a complaint at the station regarding the incident. “I am raising the matter at the appropriate level,” he said.
Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola had said, after the incidents at Heidelberg SAPS, the directorate would conduct an outreach engagement in the community today.
“The environmental scanning depicts that there are numerous policing challenges and unhappiness in that community about police conduct,” said Cola.