Three victims have come forward to report incidents of abuse at Pretoria's Zanzou nightclub, following the circulation of disturbing videos showing security personnel using excessive force on suspects.
The victims, aged 20, 21 and 22, have alleged sexual assault, kidnapping, and assault. SAPS is investigating, with the Family Violence, Child Protection, and Sexual Investigations (FCS) unit taking the lead.
This follows the release of number of videos, showing security personnel using excessive force - allegedly at the club - against suspects linked to phone thefts, prompting a widespread condemnation of the actions captured on tape.
Police had urged victims and witnesses to come forward, and three individuals, out of a group of five friends who had been assaulted, have reported incidents of abuse at the Brooklyn police station.
The victims recounted harrowing experiences that further substantiated the claims circulating online. The SAPS revealed that they are currently investigating serious charges, including compelled rape, assault, crimen injuria, intimidation, and kidnapping.
Authorities have flagged these incidents as severe human rights violations, with allegations ranging from kidnapping to sexual assault and attempted murder.
At the centre of the unfolding situation, a former nightclub bouncer named Pablo - believed to have released the videos - has come forward, claiming to possess crucial evidence for the investigation.
He claims that he holds more than 75 additional videos revealing the dark activities within Zanzou.
“Everything is true. Everything is 100% true,” he said.
Pablo further elaborated on fatal incidents at the club and revealed that he has received death threats due to his knowledge of the club's operations.
Meanwhile, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) held a picket outside the nightclub, demanding the arrest of the owner and the establishment's closure. Zanzou Management has acknowledged the incidents and dismissed the involved security personnel.
The National Commissioner of the South African Police Service (SAPS), General Fannie Masemola, has instructed the Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng, Lieutenant General Tommy Mthombeni, to swiftly pursue those implicated.
The Department of Justice and Constitutional Development has also expressed strong condemnation of the actions revealed in the videos, labelling them as a gross infringement of the human rights enshrined in South Africa's Constitution.
In a statement, the department called for a decisive and urgent response from law enforcement agencies, insisting that all those complicit in these violations be held accountable.
In response to the unfolding scandal, the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) held a picket outside the nightclub, demanding the immediate arrest of Stephane Cohen, alleged as the the club's owner, and calling for the establishment’s closure.
The party expressed its outrage at the reported dehumanisation of individuals, insisting that no justification exists for the violence depicted in the videos.
“The City of Tshwane, and indeed South Africa, is a democratic state, with the rule of law and respect for human rights,” the EFF declared.
“We reject any attempt by management to shift blame onto security personnel.”
The organisation Not in My Name has expressed its sorrow over the violence that transpired within Zanzou, echoing calls for justice to be pursued rigorously.
In a statement released yesterday, Zanzou Management acknowledged awareness of the troubling videos depicting violent security responses to theft.
They claimed that upon becoming aware of such practices, they initiated an immediate investigation, resulting in the dismissal of the implicated security personnel.
“Zanzou Management is aware of the circulation of disturbing historical videos that depict security personnel employing excessive and violent force in response to incidents of phone theft by the individuals therein. At the time when management became aware of these practices, an immediate investigation was conducted, which resulted in the immediate halting of such as well as the dismissal of security personnel responsible for the perpetration thereof,” the statement read.
Saturday Star
anita.nkonki@inl.co.za