The department of international relations and co-operation (Dirco) says its working with relevant authorities to investigate a video circulating on social media purporting to show South African students in Cuba being confronted by men in uniform.

Dirco spokesperson Lunga Ngqengelele said the department is trying to verify the video.

“That is the process that we are at the moment, we don’t know if it’s true because it has not yet been reported to the government,” he said.

Ngqengelele said once the video has been verified, Dirco will report the case to Cuba and engage the government on the matter.

In the video, a man sitting on a couch, with hands held behind his back and restricted by one of the men in uniform, is slapped by another, also in a uniform. The man is dragged away while the men in uniform proceed to accost more male students as screaming ensues.

About four men in uniform can be seen in the video.

One female student could be heard saying “voetsek” twice to the men in uniform.

It is not yet known what led to the confrontation.

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