The Dark Legacy of Apartheid: Persistent Police Torture in South Africa

A recent analysis uncovers that the South African police force, despite constitutional protections, still employs suffocation techniques during interrogations, betraying the legacy of their fight against apartheid.

In a shocking revelation, a New York Times investigation has highlighted that South Africa’s police have not moved beyond their apartheid-era brutality, specifically utilizing a suffocation method known as tubing during interrogations. Originally executed by the white-led police force to intimidate Black citizens, this interrogation tactic was explicitly outlawed in the post-apartheid constitution and only a few weeks ago, emerged as a contemporary practice from 2012 to 2023, averaging three complaints per week regarding the re-emergence of these techniques.

The investigation was conducted in collaboration with Viewfinder, a South African journalism nonprofit focusing on issues of police misconduct. The findings are deeply troubling for a nation led by those who once fought for freedom. Khulu Mbatha, a veteran of the African National Congress (ANC) and liberation advocate, expressed his dismay, remembering the promises made post-1994 that emphasized respect for human dignity and the rejection of torture tactics.

South Africa faces one of the highest murder rates globally, which might contribute to the police’s willingness to revert to extreme interrogation practices in their failing attempts to control crime. Nonetheless, the emotional and moral implications reflect a society grappling with its past while failing to ensure a future free from the very atrocities it denounced. The continuation of these torture methods raises critical questions about accountability and the integrity of a police system that was expected to uphold justice and human rights.