Mthethwa commends arrest of Jane Furse assault suspects

(Image: GCIS)

The suspects have appeared at Nebo Magistrate's Court on charges of assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm.

"We condemn this horrible incident of assaulting a helpless, elderly woman and further commend our police officers for the arrest of the suspects. We are confident that in the end, justice shall prevail in determining who did what and why," Mthethwa said.

The woman was reportedly beaten for allegedly shoplifting. A video clip showing the incident, where the woman is beaten by security guards, has since been widely circulated on social media networks.

The minister said the security guards should have adhered to basic human rights and the code of conduct of security service providers.

He stressed that if a suspect is arrested, the laws of the country determine that they still have their human rights.

Two out on bail, three held

The five suspects were arrested on Thursday, 11 April and appeared in court on Monday where two of them were granted bail of R500 each.

The remaining three are in police custody for bail application that will be heard on 22 April 2013.

Mthethwa cautioned society against labelling this isolated incident as reflective of the conduct of private security officers in general.

Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment (PSIRA) has launched their investigation into this incident, including probing the legitimacy of the security company involved - a move that has been welcomed by Mthethwa.

The PSIRA Act makes provision for a disciplinary process, including the suspension and withdrawal of the registration of those who may be found guilty of misconduct.

To regulate the private security industry, Mthethwa highlighted that his ministry has commenced with the review of the Private Security Industry Regulation Amendment Bill last year.

This legislation seeks to address identified security threats, risks and problems regarding the regulation of the private security industry.

According to PSIRA, between 15 000 and 20 000 new members join the private security industry each month. However, not all companies and private security guards register with PSIRA as required by law. Many companies and security guards attempt to operate under the radar and unlawfully. - SAnews.gov.za