Stamping out police brutality

OWN CORRESPONDENT

South African Union for Progressive Judaism, South African Association of Progressive Rabbis, and South African Centre for Religious Equality and Diversity

The rabbinic leadership of the South African Union for Progressive Judaism calls out to our leaders to bring swift justice to bear in the tragic death of Collins Khosa, as well Petrus Miggels, Sibusiso Amos, Adane Emmanuel, and other citizens who have suffered brutality at the hands of South African police officers. Especially now as our country reels from the COVID-19 pandemic, we rely on our government to bring calm and security to all its people. The police and armed forces are responsible for keeping us all safe, irrespective of our privilege, and we are alarmed by the increasing number of incidents occurring in the poorest and most vulnerable communities of this country. We note that sadly, South Africa isn’t alone in the world, and we are deeply disturbed by the tragic case of George Floyd and the lack of swift and just response by the American authorities.

Our Torah is clear. It teaches that every human being, created in the divine image, has infinite worth and is fundamentally equal to every other (Genesis 1:26, Mishna Sanhedrin 4:5). It teaches that, indeed, we are our brothers’ keepers (Genesis 4:9). It teaches that the Holy One hears the cry of the oppressed (Exodus 22:22). And it commands us, “Do not stand by while your neighbour’s blood is shed.” (Leviticus 19:16).

We stand with our international movement, the World Union for Progressive Judaism, whose president, Rabbi Sergio Bergman, has called for us “to tackle racism in our communities and commit ourselves to stand with those challenging hate and ignorance wherever it appears and to whomever it’s directed”.

Chief Rabbi Dr Warren Goldstein

Police brutality, whether here, in the US, or anywhere, is obviously beyond the pale, and is a form of gross criminality. But there is a broader issue here, one that is particularly relevant to all of us in South Africa as we emerge from a period of lockdown that has resulted in a significant erosion of civil liberty in the name of safeguarding our vital interests of health and safety.

At this time, we must rededicate ourselves as a society – and as a government – to the principle that a democracy serves its citizens, not the other way round. We are free citizens, not subjects.

This is especially true for state security services, which exist to serve and protect law-abiding citizens, and should treat each person with dignity and equality, respect all our human rights, and maintain the highest levels of professionalism, transparency, and accountability.

Alana Baranov, founding and current steering committee member of the Hate Crimes Working Group (a South African Jewish Board of Deputies representative)

Basic human rights don’t go into lockdown. However, during this challenging period, we have seen horrific acts of violence against innocent civilians by members of the military and police, with the perpetrators not brought to book and held accountable for their crimes.

Tragically, as we are seeing in the US and elsewhere in the world, law-enforcement brutality is most often targeted at poor and black bodies. Two decades into our democracy, these heartbreaking events point to the legacy of apartheid’s structural inequalities and systemic racism that still exists in South Africa today, and must be urgently addressed.

As with the victims of police brutality in the US, we must “say their names” and use the memory of Collins Khosa and others to spur not just awareness and solidarity, but also concrete action to change the policing and law-enforcement systems in our country.

Shaun Zagnoev, South African Jewish Board of Deputies national chairperson

Whether or not we are in lockdown, all organs of state including law enforcement must adhere to the rule of law. All who infringe these laws must be held accountable for their actions.