Viewfinder's first documentary film revisits the murder of Letsekang Thokoane, a young shopkeeper, by police during the farm worker strike in De Doorns in 2013. Why were the killers not held accountable? From the scene of the murder in Elubisi township a paper trail leads us to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate's head office in Pretoria to ask this question.
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We condensed our findings on SAPS brutality and non-accountability into a short animation. Come up to speed in around a minute flat.
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Viewfinder exposes how underfunding, State Capture and statistical manipulation at IPID allowed violent criminals in the South African Police Service escape accountability.
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The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has investigated the killings and deaths in custody of dozens of children since 2012. Almost none of these cases have resulted in convictions. As the justice system moves swiftly on the Nathaniel Julies murder case in Eldorado Park, the police watchdog finds itself at a crossroads. This week IPID’s new head will visit some of the directorate’s provincial offices to give “strategic direction” to ensure that justice is served for police brutality victims and their families. But, can her leadership overcome years of cover-up and dysfunction?
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The police watchdog’s commitment to better case management practices has gone half-way. But, with political will and proper oversight, there is always the possibility for IPID to implement better performance indicators. Meanwhile, the full effect of funding shortfalls at IPID was laid bare at Wednesday’s meeting with Parliament.
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After a Viewfinder exposé and pressure from Parliament, IPID made a u-turn on its decision to clear police of wrongdoing in the circumstances leading up to the death of Petrus Miggels in Ravensmead on the first day of national lockdown. An investigation of police assault is now underway.
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Collins Khosa was allegedly beaten to death by soldiers enforcing lockdown regulations in Alexandra township in April. Now, his family has approached the High Court in Pretoria for a wide ranging order to curtail abuses by police and military, and to improve oversight. The court bid touches on long standing failings of South Africa’s police watchdog, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
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In addition to allegations of five lockdown related killings, IPID’s slideshow to Parliament highlighted 398 other lockdown and non-lockdown related complaints against the police during a three week period. An MP also questioned police minister Bheki Cele about the Petrus Miggels death case, the subject of Viewfinder’s latest investigative article.
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