During apartheid, the South African police force was notorious for employing brutal interrogation tactics, including a method of suffocation often utilizing plastic bags to extract information from Black individuals. Despite the end of apartheid over three decades ago and the establishment of a constitution forbidding such inhumane treatment, a chilling report by The New York Times highlights the continued use of these practices by the South African police.
Analysis of government data reveals that from 2012 to 2023, an average of three individuals each week reported having been subjected to a suffocation method known as "tubing" during police interrogations. This ongoing abuse starkly contradicts the commitments made by the ruling African National Congress (ANC), a party historically associated with the struggle against apartheid and a promise to never revert to the atrocious methods of the past.
Veteran ANC member Khulu Mbatha expressed his shock at the findings, recounting painful memories of past oppression and emphasizing the governance pledge made in 1994 that emphasized human dignity and the prohibition of torture.
The persistence of such practices raises serious questions about accountability and reform within a police force that should be protecting citizens rather than perpetuating violence and abuse. The implications for democracy and justice in South Africa are alarming, as they point to a broader systemic failure to confront and remedy the legacy of apartheid-era practices within law enforcement. The analysis, in partnership with Viewfinder, underscores the urgent need for institutional reform and greater oversight to fulfill the promises of a liberated society.
