By Kaya 959 Reporter
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is probing the actions of police officers after DA Federal Chairperson Helen Zille was allegedly mishandled on Monday.
The incident took place at a voting station in the Eastern Cape
“A case of assault has been opened against the police officer by Helen Zille. A case of theft was also opened after a second person who filmed the incident had his cellphone taken away,” says Ipid spokesperson Grace Langa.
Langa adds that Ipid is hoping to interview Zille.
A police officer is seen in the video escorting Zille out of the Fernwood Primary School voting station in Bethelsdorp.
WATCH: Helen Zille was just physically dragged out of a voting station near Port Elizabeth by Police. pic.twitter.com/ba5a6ZzxTR
— Willem Petzer (@willempet) November 1, 2021
Helen Zille shares her side of the story
Zille later took to Facebook to share her side of what transpired.
She claimed that an IEC official at the voting station called the police, accusing her of interfering with a voter. Zille alleges that she tried to assist the voter.
In a separate issue, police released a Newzroom Afrika journalist following a scuffle at a voting station in Soweto.
Officers arrested the journalist, Ziniko Mhlaba, during a live crossing.
Police spokesperson Brigadier Vishnu Naidoo says officials have escalated the matter to the Provincial Commissioner of Gauteng.
The provincial commissioner ordered both the release of the journalist and an investigation into the matter.
He says police were forced to remove a television journalist and a cameraman from a polling station in Orlando East, Soweto.
The pair allegedly interfered with the work of the presiding officer at that station.
“It is rather unfortunate that this situation resulted in a confrontation between police and the journalist,” Naidoo adds.
Chief Electoral Officer Sy Mamabolo addressed journalists on the matter at an IEC briefing.
He says while details are sketchy, the IEC has launched a “fact-finding mission” to determine the circumstances surrounding Mhlaba’s arrest.
The IEC will brief the media on the outcome of the process.
Main image courtesy of Facebook/ Helen Zille



