Lockdown abuse and civil society’s response
Reports of police violence and harassment in South Africa highlight the need for principled police leadership.
South Africa has one of the strictest COVID-19 lockdowns of any country and enforcing it is largely the job of police and soldiers. Numerous accounts of security forces assaulting lockdown violators have sparked widespread condemnation and the rapid mobilisation of civil society in defence of victims.
The legitimacy of the state is crucial during these turbulent times, but the actions of some police and soldiers puts this at risk. This seminar provides an opportunity to engage with police, activists and analysts working to ensure that South Africa’s COVID-19 lockdown is enforced lawfully, democratically and without abuse.
Chair: Dr Andrew Faull, Senior Researcher, Justice and Violence Prevention, ISS
Speakers:
Prof Ben Bradford, University College London, Jill Dando Institute of Security and Crime Science
Thato Masiangoako, Socio Economic Rights Institute of South Africa (SERI) and member of the COVID-19 People’s Coalition
South African Police Service (TBC)
