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A South African Police Service (SAPS) officer was charged with drunk and negligent driving after a video of him fighting with a taxi driver went viral on Wednesday.
In the video, the police officer stops his SAPS vehicle and goes after the taxi driver, opens his door and begins to assault him.
The taxi driver then fights back, while the travelers cheer him on.
“It’s your fault,” the travelers tell the officer, accusing him of being drunk.
Look the following video
This apparently happened in Khayelitsha, on the outskirts of Cape Town. @SAPoliceService pic.twitter.com/L6M9kxXGZZ
– Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) Dec 24, 2020
According to Brigadier Novela Potelwa, Lingelethu West Police Station police officers who were busy with a vehicle checkpoint on Spine Road were alerted to two vehicles that were involved in an accident in Ilitha Park that led to an altercation between the two drivers.
WATCH: ‘Drunk’ Police Struggle to Inspect State Car Damage After Allegedly Hitting Fence
The report indicated that one of the vehicles was a marked police van.
“Upon arrival, they found the two vehicles with damage and a SAPS member in uniform who appeared unsteady on his feet. Lingelethu West police officers brought him in for examination. He was later charged with driving under the influence of alcohol, as well as reckless and negligent driving. He is a 33-year-old police officer attached to Khayelitsha Site B Police Station in the Crime Prevention Unit. Since then an internal disciplinary investigation has been launched, ”said Potelwa.
The identity of the taxi driver is known and he will be interviewed as part of the ongoing investigations.
Police Minister Bheki Cele has denounced what he calls “misconduct” by the officer.
“This officer does not belong to the SAPS, you simply cannot make a policeman behave this way and expect no consequences. This officer clearly made the decision to change his blue uniform for an orange one the moment he reported to work while drunk. “
Cele has requested that the internal disciplinary processes be accelerated against this member and all the other agents of the police service, which go against his oath and constitutional mandate.
“There is a call to all hands to work by the president while we, as a country, face this invisible enemy that is COVID-19, but for us in SAPS we have a double job that is also to enforce regulations of the Disaster Management Act as we deal decisively with criminals this holiday season. Therefore, we simply cannot allow the officials to put the ball down and those who do will be treated, ”he said.
ALSO READ: WATCH: Drunk Police Caught Driving Crooked on Joburg Highway
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