A group of teens from Bo-Kaap have been left traumatised after they were allegedly chased with dogs, shot with pepper ball guns and klapped by Law Enforcement and Central City Improvement District (CCID) officers over the weekend.
Their angry parents say the boys, aged between 15 and 17, were arrested and treated like common criminals after being falsely accused of being robbers.
They were later released, with officers citing a case of “mistaken identity”.
Dad Shafiek Booley, 56, says on Saturday, the boys assisted with a community fundraiser and were paid R150.
“My 17-year-old son and seven of his friends helped by carrying chairs for us, so I gave them R150 to share between them,” Shafiek explains.
“They were going to get gatsbys at Food Inn and about an hour later we got a frantic call from a neighbour in Chiappini Street saying the teens were being arrested.”
After buying their food they walked along Long Street when a bergie tried to grab one of their cellphones.
“We all chased after him to moer him,” they say.
But “out of nowhere” club bouncers with big German Shepherd dogs, CCID officers and Law Enforcement officers started chasing after them.
Law enforcement cops accused of moering teens in a case of mistaken identity. Picture supplied
“We didn’t know what was going on, but we were bang of the dogs so we ran, then we heard them shoot and they hit one boy in the back.”
The teens say they stopped in Chiappini Street where the officers accused them of “robbing a white man” of his cellphone and started smacking them.
“We tried to tell them about the bergie, but they didn’t care. They klapped us and drove around with us in the van.”
Booley says the parents were called by the CCID and asked where they could drop the boys, but parents demanded they be taken to the Cape Town Central Police Station where they found the shaking teens at the back of a CCID van.
CCID security manager, Muneeb Hendricks, said: “We are unable to comment on the specific nature of the allegations at present as an internal investigation is underway. If any one of our officers is found guilty of misconduct, they will face serious disciplinary action which could lead to dismissal.”