SAPS pays farmer R500 000 for unlawful arrest

Caxton Magazines

The Pretoria High Court recently ordered the safety and security minister to pay 44-year-old farmer Willie Nel R500 000 for an illegal arrest that was made eight years ago in the Lusthof area in Pretoria after Nel discovered a corpse on a farm.

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He was detained and tortured by the police for 16 days.According to a legal expert, the charge will be against the ministerial title, and not the title holder himself. In effect, this means that the safety and security department will foot the bill. TAU SA CEO Bennie van Zyl, said, “Although this incident happened eight years ago, it isn’t an isolated case.

“Illegal arrests happen with alarming regularity, and it is a serious cause for concern when the public lose confidence in the very structures that are supposed to protect them.” In addition to being tortured by three policemen, Nel was moved to five different locations following the arrest, according to documents before the court. 

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