On Sunday the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema claimed to have been harassed by law enforcement officers.
Malema described on social media how he was taken out of his vehicle and had ‘rifles’ pointed at him by the officers.
"Just survived police harassment at Grayston off-ramp, 12 police men pointed me with rifles and forced me out of the car, " tweeted Malema
The party later released a statement about the incident claiming that Malema had been stopped by ‘a white unmarked van’
Sowetan LIVE contacted Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department to enquire about Malema’s claim.
Minnaar confirmed that a JMPD officer spotted a Golf with strobe lights (blue lights) near the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Sunday night.
The officer ‘became suspicious’ and followed the vehicle, the officer was alone so she called for backup.
Minaar then stated that the Golf which was travelling with a Range Rover was stopped at the Grayston offramp by JMPD officers in ‘marked and unmarked vehicles’.
“It was then established that the strobe light was that of a security vehicle, and that the vehicle was registered to a private company. Then the occupants were allowed to get into their vehicles and proceed.” Minnaar said.
When asked whether the officers or the vehicle occupants had been aggressive Minnaar replied that the JMPD officers were doing their jobs.
“The metro police officers were doing their jobs; the officers had suspected that they may have been criminals inside the vehicles. Or that the vehicle was used for criminal activities such as hijacking because of the strobe light”, Minnaar replied.
He went on to say that criminals have been using private vehicles to commit crimes and that there have been many incidents in Johannesburg where vehicles with strobe lights have been used to commit hijacking.
'Officers were just doing their jobs', says Wayne Minnaar on Malema harassment claim
On Sunday the leader of the Economic Freedom Fighters, Julius Malema claimed to have been harassed by law enforcement officers.
Malema described on social media how he was taken out of his vehicle and had ‘rifles’ pointed at him by the officers.
"Just survived police harassment at Grayston off-ramp, 12 police men pointed me with rifles and forced me out of the car, " tweeted Malema
The party later released a statement about the incident claiming that Malema had been stopped by ‘a white unmarked van’
Sowetan LIVE contacted Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar of the Johannesburg Metro Police Department to enquire about Malema’s claim.
Minnaar confirmed that a JMPD officer spotted a Golf with strobe lights (blue lights) near the Chris Hani Baragwanath Hospital on Sunday night.
The officer ‘became suspicious’ and followed the vehicle, the officer was alone so she called for backup.
Minaar then stated that the Golf which was travelling with a Range Rover was stopped at the Grayston offramp by JMPD officers in ‘marked and unmarked vehicles’.
“It was then established that the strobe light was that of a security vehicle, and that the vehicle was registered to a private company. Then the occupants were allowed to get into their vehicles and proceed.” Minnaar said.
When asked whether the officers or the vehicle occupants had been aggressive Minnaar replied that the JMPD officers were doing their jobs.
“The metro police officers were doing their jobs; the officers had suspected that they may have been criminals inside the vehicles. Or that the vehicle was used for criminal activities such as hijacking because of the strobe light”, Minnaar replied.
He went on to say that criminals have been using private vehicles to commit crimes and that there have been many incidents in Johannesburg where vehicles with strobe lights have been used to commit hijacking.
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