Naka Drotské attack: AfriForum queries investigative methods of SAPS
The civil rights organisation AfriForum on 5 December officially directed an enquiry to the Tshwane East cluster of the SAPS due to concern regarding negligence by the SAPS in the investigation into the scene of the Naka Drotské attack. The scene was not demarcated properly, the SAPS failed to identify and raise suspicious footprints before members of the SAPS entered the scene, members of the SAPS smoked on the scene, while evidence was also left behind or overlooked (including a glove presumably belonging to one of the suspects, as well as pliers believed to have been used to cut wires to gain access to the premises).
The SAPS furthermore directed the absurd request to Os du Randt that he must keep safe the bullets that were removed from Drotské in the hospital until the SAPS can collect it from him at a later stage. Du Randt is a former teammate and friend of Drotské and was also present during the attack. He was the one that rushed Drotské to hospital.
The clothes worn by Drotské during his ruction with the attackers was also not included in the investigation by the police. Drotské’s family kept the clothes safe and informed the SAPS of this matter.
“We are very disappointed in the reaction and service of the SAPS. They took 45 minutes to react after we informed them of the incident and the constables that originally took our statements completely made a mess of it and shamelessly acknowledged it. We had to make ourselves available again to properly complete the statements later. We are very dissatisfied about this,” says Tinus Drotské, Naka’s brother.
“The Kameeldrift district where the incident occurred experienced a crime wave during the year. AfriForum is increasingly being approached by residents of the district with complaints about the inability and slackness of the SAPS when handling crime cases, specifically also in this region,” says Ian Cameron, AfriForum’s Head of Community Safety.
“AfriForum will continuously place pressure on the SAPS to execute their constitutional mandate to protect the public and to ensure their safety and we will use every available forum to accomplish it,” concludes Cameron.
