"Those Lashes": Durban Traffic Cop Caught on Camera Assaulting Motorist During Licence Check

• A traffic officer was filmed aggressively confronting a motorist she had pulled over for a licence check
• The footage was shared by the 'Name, Shame and Expose Durban' page, raising questions about police conduct off-camera
• Viewers were divided, with some condemning the officer's behaviour and others noting the vehicle had no number plates

A traffic officer has landed in hot water after footage of her allegedly assaulting a motorist during a routine licence check began circulating on Facebook.

The clip, posted by the page "Exposed Durban," shows an officer pulling over a driver and demanding his licence. When the man questioned why he was being stopped, the confrontation escalated quickly. The officer became visibly aggressive, handling the situation in a way that many viewers described as completely out of line.

The page's caption posed a pointed question to its audience: if this is how officers behave when a camera is present, what happens when nobody is watching?

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What the law says about police conduct

South African law is clear on the matter. Police officers are not permitted to randomly assault civilians under any circumstances. According to DSC Attorneys, officers may only use the minimum force necessary to carry out a lawful duty, such as making a legal arrest or defending themselves or the public from immediate danger. Any physical harm beyond what is reasonable and necessary is classified as excessive force and constitutes police brutality.

Citizens who experience unlawful treatment at the hands of an officer can report the incident to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), which handles both criminal and disciplinary investigations against officers, according to Lawtons Africa.

Mzansi debates the Durban footage

The clip on the Facebook page drew a flood of responses, with most people deeply unhappy with what they saw:

@Johan Van Zyl said:

"Those fake eyelashes are longer than my outstanding TV license 🙄"

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@Mara Krugel wrote:

"The lashes made her lash out."

@Alta Mouton asked:

"Who do they think they are😡😡😡"

@Ria Koekemoer noted:

"There are no number plates on that car."

Not everyone was ready to place all the blame on the officer. Some commenters pointed out that the vehicle had no visible number plates, which may have contributed to how the stop unfolded.

Even so, the overwhelming sentiment in the comments was that nothing justified the officer's conduct, and that accountability must apply equally whether or not a camera is rolling.

See the Facebook clip below:

More on SA police

• Briefly News recently reported on a Chinese woman resisting arrest in Johannesburg, sparking fury online.
• In another story, SAPS officers attempted to match military paratroopers in a tumbling drill, with footage of them losing their footing sending Mzansi into fits of laughter.
• A well-known KwaMashu sangoma was arrested over his alleged role in the 2020 murders of an ANCYL member and two police officers.

Source: Briefly News