Charges against formula milk dad dropped after @AfriForum’s private prosecution unit intervenes.
@AfriForum’s private prosecution unit announced at a media conference today that the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) had refused to institute charges against Naas Le Roux.
Le Roux was arrested on 7 January after he had violated the curfew during an emergency to purchase formula milk for his new-born baby.
@AfriForum’s private prosecution unit had a watching brief in this case and last week made representations to the prosecutor as to why Le Roux should not be prosecuted.
@AfriForum also announced that the unit will put pressure on the SAPS’s investigations team, but also support them with the internal investigation of the various police officer’s alleged misconduct during this incident.
According to Kallie Kriel, @AfriForum’s CEO, the organisation welcomes the NPA’s decision not to prosecute Le Roux.
“However, it increasingly seems that certain law enforcers are abusing the lockdown regulations to bully ordinary, law abiding citizens rather than to focus on fighting serious crime." - @kalliekriel
"This was clearly an emergency and the SAPS officers’ lack of insight and empathy to enforce the regulations in a rational manner is truly shocking." - @kalliekriel
"We cannot allow the SAPS to treat law abiding citizens like criminals. We will therefor remain involved in this case to ensure that active action is taken against the relevant police officers.” - @kalliekriel
Adv #GerrieNel, Head of @AfriForum’s Private Prosecution Unit, said during the conference that the action of the SAPS in this case clearly points to a lack of training, as well as neglecting to understand the purpose of the lockdown regulations.
"The purpose of the regulations is not – as Bheki Cele, Police Minister, proudly announced, to burden 7 000 people with criminal records because they are not wearing masks – but to lighten the burden on hospitals by stopping the spread of the virus.” - #GerrieNel
During the conference it was said that Mr Le Roux had been arrested on 7 January 2021 because he had broken the curfew to buy formula milk for his hungry new-born baby at the Clicks pharmacy at Unitas Hospital.
The baby was born on 6 January 2021, and the baby as well as Le Roux’s wife, Natasha, were discharged from hospital on 7 January.
Even though Mrs Le Roux was breastfeeding, a complication emerged with the baby’s feeding and Mr Le Roux had to drive to the emergency pharmacy at the hospital on the Friday morning at about 01:00 to buy formula milk.
Upon his return, two SAPS constables pulled him over about 250 m from his home. They refused to listen to reason or to grasp that he had been breaking the curfew rule because of an emergency, even though he showed them the can of formula milk and the receipt.
The police officers – who had no visible form of identification or badges – were very aggressive, according to Mr Le Roux, insulting and verbally intimidated him several times.
The situation escalated until one of the officers told Le Roux that they were going to arrest him that evening and teach him a lesson.
One of the police officers took Naas’ car keys from his vehicle and tried to prevent him from recording the conversation.
They did allow him to phone his wife, however. She had to walk about 250 m to the car carrying her new-born baby – who was restless from hunger – to get the formula milk. She begged the police officers to let her husband go, but they simply refused.
One of the police officers then asked Mrs Le Roux if she could drive. She then had to drive home with her new-born baby on her lap, while the police officers arrested her husband and put him in the back of a police vehicle.
The officers told Mrs Le Roux that she could follow them to the police station to pay Mr Le Roux’s bail.
Mrs Le Roux arrived at the police station after feeding the baby at home. The warrant officer warned her to leave and go home immediately, otherwise she would also be arrested
She went home and obtained legal assistance for Mr Le Roux from Lily Rautenbach, who managed to get him released from custody the next morning.
Rautenbach applied her experience well and managed to get Naas released on a warning. She will deal with the subsequent civil claims against the police.
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Klagtes teen formulemelk-pa laat vaar nadat @AfriForum se privaatvervolgingseenheid ingryp
@AfriForum se privaatvervolgingseenheid het vandag tydens ’n mediakonferensie aangekondig dat die Nasionale Vervolgingsgesag (NVG) geweier het om klagtes teen Naas le Roux in te stel.
Le Roux is op 7 Januarie in hegtenis geneem vir die verbreking van die aandklokreël omdat hy weens ’n noodgeval formulemelk vir sy pasgebore baba moes gaan koop.
@AfriForum se privaatvervolgingseenheid hou vandag’n mediakonferensie oor die onlangse magsmisbruik van die SAPD
Op 7 Jan is 'n man deur 2 polisiebeamptes in hegtenis geneem is nadat hy weens ’n noodgeval die aandklokreël moes verbreek om formulemelk vir sy pasgebore baba te gaan koop.
.@afriforum WIL TOETREE TOT GEVAARLIKE HOFAANSOEK OOR GRONDBESETTING
.@AfriForum het op 28 September aansoek gedoen om as vriend van die hof op te tree ten einde te argumenteer teen die MRK, die EFF en ander applikante se hofaansoek voor die Wes-Kaapse hooggeregshof om sekere gemeenregtelike remedies teen grondbesetters ongeldig te laat verklaar.
Hierdie aansoek is teen die Kaapstad-metro, die minister van Menslike Nedersettings, Water en Sanitasie, die Minister van Samewerkende Regering en Tradisionele Sake, asook die nasionale polisiekommissaris gebring.
.@afriforum DOEN ’N BEROEP OP GEMEENSKAPPE OM HUL EIE ERFENIS TE BEWAAR ÉN BOU
Op die vooraand van Erfenisdag doen @afriforum ’n beroep op gemeenskappe om verantwoordelikheid vir die bewaring en uitbou van hulle eie erfenis te aanvaar.
Volgens Alana Bailey, @afriforum se hoof van Kultuursake, heers verskeie debatte wêreldwyd oor die betekenis van historiese erfenis, asook oor hoe dit verstaan en bewaar moet word.