[Fwd: Woman 'manhandled' for double parking (summarised)]

Woman 'manhandled' for double parking.

Abuse of power by the police and traffic authorities has come under the
spotlight following the broadcast of film footage showing Tshwane Metro
police members manhandling a woman, handcuffing and arresting her for a
parking violation.

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By Gill Gifford

Abuse of power by the police and traffic authorities has come under the
spotlight following the broadcast of film footage showing Tshwane Metro
police members manhandling a woman, handcuffing and arresting her for a
parking violation.

The incident, which happened at the end of November last year, was
captured by one of the Tshwane municipality's security cameras.

On the day of the incident Magdel and her mother Annemarie Steyn had
driven from Germiston to Pretoria for business. Magdel had dropped her
mother off at the Registrar of Companies at the corner of Meintjies and
Esselen Streets in Sunnyside and went to park nearby, joining a line of
cars that were double-parked.

A metro official in a marked vehicle hooted at her, prompting her to
move forward. He hooted again and so she drove around the block and
parked on the opposite side of the intersection on the curb when he
confronted her angrily as she sat in her car.

"Immediately he was very aggressive. He just told me: 'What's your
problem, why can't you move?' I tried to explain she'll be back within
five minutes. After telling him the story I closed my window and he
started banging with his fist against the window. And I actually started
getting scared because he was really using quite a bit of force," said
Steyn.

She tried to move her car again, but a group of Metro officers swooped
on her, just as her mother arrived back at the car.

About 11 traffic officials were shown to take control of the situation
as Steyn was grabbed by a female Metro officer who threw her against the
roof of a Metro tow truck. She was told that her car was to be impounded.

Annemarie Steyn, who kept pleading for an explanation for what wrong had
been done, was prevented from helping her daughter who was pushed around
and roughly cuffed with her hands behind her back.

Metro police spokesman Console Tleane said Magdel had failed to heed
verbal warnings that she was obstructing traffic and therefore
endangering the lives of other road users. The circumstances had come
about because she had been unco-operative, prompting the Metro official
to call for back-up.

Magdel spent the night at the Sunnyside police cells, while her frantic
mother was told she would be charged with attempted murder. However, the
next morning Magdel was charged in court with reckless and negligent
driving and ordered to pay an admission of guilt fine of R1 500 to go
free. She did this and now has a criminal record.

The Steyn family has laid criminal charges against the Tshwane Metro
police for Magdel's injuries and suffering as well as thousands of rands
stolen from her impounded car, and damage caused to the interior because
the windows were left open during a rain storm.

Tleane said the entire matter was under investigation, and no action has
been taken against anyone.

This article was originally published on page 2 of The Pretoria News on
March 16, 2010