Who and what is AfriForum?

AfriForum is an Afrikaans civil rights organisation that protects the rights of minority groups at national as well as provincial level, and anyone who can identify with AfriForum’s principles and objectives may join the organisation. AfriForum’s community plan focuses on mobilising communities to thus take control of their own streets and neighbourhoods again. AfriForum ensures that your constitutional and civil rights are recognised and protected at national level.

Wie en wat is AfriForum?

AfriForum is ’n Afrikaanse burgerregteorganisasie wat die regte van minderheidsgroepe op sowel nasionale as provinsiale vlak beskerm, en enigiemand wat met AfriForum se beginsels en doelstellings kan identifiseer, mag by die organisasie aansluit. AfriForum se gemeenskapsplan fokus daarop om gemeenskappe te mobiliseer om só weer beheer terug te neem oor hul eie strate en woonbuurtes. AfriForum verseker dat jou grondwetlike én burgerregte op nasionale vlak erken en beskerm word.

Corruption-accused Tshwane Metro Police officers accosts Private Prosecution Unit member

In a bizarre development, Tshwane Metro Police Officers accused in corruption-related charges accosted a member of AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit because they objected to being filmed. The incident happened at the Pretoria Magistrates Court on Thursday 15 June after Johnson Lebombo, Aubrey Phalane and Makgoba Raboshacia made a brief appearance.

The trio face charges of extortion, robbery, kidnapping and intimidation, and are before court on five other cases, as well as being investigated for several more. Despite this, they remain on duty as serving Tshwane Metro Police officers.

On Thursday, as Lebombo and Phalane left the courtroom, the unit’s spokesperson Barry Bateman recorded the exit. What followed was an altercation where the police officers attempted to rob Bateman of his phone, manhandled him and threatened him with arrest.

The conduct of the officers is unsurprising. “If this is the conduct of accused policemen, just imagine the bravado of police officers when they are in uniform, armed and driving with blue lights,” said Bateman.

This incident took place just a day after the Tshwane Metro Police issued a directive to all its members as a response to numerous complaints of alleged extortion and corruption by TMPD members. “Due to the high number of complaints received from the public, TMPD members are to take note that the public has the right and is encouraged to request appointment certificates from a member. The public may also either take photos of the member and his/her vehicle and/or record the occurrence in the endeavour to curb this alleged unlawful act,” it states in the directive.

In the present case, it is alleged that in September last year they pulled over a motorist and accused him of speeding – his girlfriend and their 10-year-old daughter was in the car with him. The officers allegedly disarmed him of his personal firearm, before forcing him under threat of arrest to withdraw cash from an ATM at a petrol station in Rigel Avenue in Pretoria. After this was done, the officers allegedly forced the man into the back of the police van and drove him to a desolate area, where he handed over the R4 000 he had just withdrawn and they robbed him of a further R1 000 from his wallet.

The three accused return to court on 18 July. The media are encouraged to attend the proceedings to witness firsthand the conduct of these police officers as they face these very serious charges.