NEWS > 11 September 2007

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AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
11 September 2007

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South Africa: Zille Says Polic

Mayor Helen Zille was adamant yesterday she had done nothing to warrant her arrest in Mitchells Plain while on an anti-drug march and said she would plead "not guilty" when she appeared in court today.

Zille criticised the police for their hostile treatment of people who had joined the march which had been organised by the People's Anti-drug and Liquor Action Committee (Padlac).

"The mobilisation against a peaceful march had to be seen to be believed. Police were just hostile from beginning to end as if we were a public nuisance, not people acting out our constitutional right to be protected by the police. No one was resisting the police in doing anything," Zille said. "Their entire attitude was 'we've got the power, we'll show you whose boss, we'll put you in your place'."

Zille's actions were criticised by acting premier Leonard Ramatlakane, who accused her of being in the habit of rushing into situations and embracing people without first understanding the context of their activities.

Ramatlakane said public representatives had a duty to lead by example as communities looked to them for leadership.

But African National Congress secretary-general Kgalema Motlanthe struck a more conciliatory note: "Without disagreeing with the principle that all shall be equal before the law, a person of that office should be treated with some decorum of respect."

Zille said her arrest and charge in terms of the Regulation of Gatherings Act had elicited much interest from the international media and she had been interviewed by the BBC and Daily Telegraph from London.

"I'm not overblowing this thing by any means, and I'm not saying we're on the precipice of a police state," she said.

However, Zille said, the last time she had seen police dragging women and children around was "in another era, another time".

"Police have no understanding or perception of how they're coming across. They're acting because they want to show who is in charge. They won't have their authority challenged in any way - even by peaceful protest.

"The outcome is precisely the opposite of what they intended. They are damaging the country, damaging themselves and damaging perceptions of the rule of law in SA."

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AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA11 September 2007

South Africa: Zille Says Polic

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AllAfrica.com - Washington,USA
11 September 2007