Police brutality is common in South Africa, with an estimated 5,500 cases reported annually.
Ednews reports via AlJazeera that a video showing armed plainclothes officers dragging a man from a car at the weekend and stomping on his head until he lay motionless has outraged South Africans and drawn more attention to the country’s problem with police brutality.
The officers are part of the security team protecting South Africa Deputy President Paul Mashatile, his office said on Tuesday.
Mashatile’s office said in a statement that the incident happened in Johannesburg, and added that he “abhors any unnecessary use of force, particularly against unarmed civilians”.
The 45-second video was recorded by a person in another car not involved in the incident, and posted to Twitter.
The video shows the officers, some holding rifles, dragging the man across a road and brutalising him until he was unconscious and lay motionless on his back. The officers were also seen kicking another man, who holds his hands over his head to protect himself.
The police protection unit, known in South Africa as the “blue light brigade”, has a reputation for using unnecessary force. The unit is known for fast driving along highways and reacting with force if other drivers don’t immediately recognise the small blue sirens on their cars and move out of the way.
