Deputy Speaker, Cope welcomes the ruling by the South Gauteng High Court yesterday, which essentially found the Minister of Police to be in contempt of the Constitution for his flagrant disregard of the Human Rights Commission and the human rights of people in South Africa.
This was after the Human Rights Commission instructed the Minister of Police to apologise for the brutal arrest of Mr Maxwele, a University of Cape Town, student, by the SAPS Presidential Protection Unit, allegedly for gesturing at the blue-light brigade whilst he was jogging along. The Minister and the SAPS were also requested to acknowledge the supremacy of the Constitution and the rule of law, as well as the state's responsibility to protect and respect its citizens.
Instead of apologising and pledging loyalty to the Constitution, the Minister of Police lodged an application to the South Gauteng High Court to set aside the findings of the Human Rights Commission. The Minister's application to the High Court was yesterday dismissed with punitive costs. But again, instead of apologising to Mr Maxwele and the nation, he queries why litigants should have access to a plethora of fora to ventilate their complaints. [Interjections.]
What the Minister should be concerned about is the ongoing blatant human rights violations by the SAPS that have to date, during the last financial year, resulted in the SAPS paying out R210 million to settle 3 773 civil claims. Thank you. [Time expired.]