Two Fish Hoek police officers who were recorded seemingly assaulting an unarmed man in the Western Cape town will appear in court on September 30, said the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) on Tuesday. 

“The officers were seen in a social media post at the weekend assaulting a member of the public. They will face a charge of assault with intent to cause grievous bodily harm,” said Ipid spokesperson Lizzy Suping. 

In the video, the man is seemingly wrestled and pinned to the ground by one officer, while the other repeatedly beats him with a baton. 

Police ignore calls from a bystander and, instead, the baton-wielding officer confronts a community member who threatens to pepper spray him. 

Asked by a bystander what he had done, the assaulted man, sitting on the ground and breathing heavily, said: “I was trying to get their help to lodge a missing person [case].”

He tells the bystander the missing person is his girlfriend. 

On Monday it was reported that the man was referred to a medical facility for treatment.

While a complaint of assault was lodged by him, one of the law-enforcement officials opened an assault case against him, said Western Cape police spokesperson Brig Novela Potelwa. 

Ipid said it was investigating the incident.

Potelwa said a senior police official has been appointed to investigate the matter in terms of the police service disciplinary code.

“Preliminary findings reveal the two policemen in the video are from Fish Hoek station and had responded to a complaint in the area about a missing individual.

“While criminal investigations into the conduct of police members fall within the ambit of the Ipid, the police internal investigation will focus on whether the members flouted any disciplinary prescripts that relate to the conduct of police members.

“Police management urges that space be given for investigations to unfold. Once the internal probe is finalised, the outcome will be made known.”

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