Madam Deputy Speaker, while the ACDP does not condone the actions of the UCT student who was arrested by the VIP Protection Unit, we nevertheless deplore the conduct of the police officers who arrested him. The student's right to be protected against torture was violated by the members of the VIP Protection Unit, who acted like they were trained by the apartheid security branch. [Interjections.]
Regardless of their claims that the student resisted arrest, there can be no justification for suffocating a person by putting a plastic bag over their head. This is evil and one of the worst forms of torture any person can suffer.
My question to the hon Deputy Minister is: After the court proceedings have been exhausted internally, is there anything that the department will do as an assurance to the public that, in future, no such activity will be tolerated from the VIP Protection Unit? Thank you.