Woman slapped by Cala police officer for greeting him speaks out: ‘I can't hear properly now'

News24

02-07-2025

Police officers and police stations are meant to be beacons of safety and protection, where citizens can seek help and refuge from harm. However, a disturbing incident has brought to light the dark reality that, for some, these institutions and people who have sworn to protect and serve the community can be the source of trauma and violence.
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Sisipho Nxazonke details the alleged brutality she encountered at the hands of a police officer.
Speaking to Drum Sisipho tells us she was born and bred in Cala - Eastern Cape but now resides in Cape Town due to work purposes.
At the time of the incident, she was back home in Cala for a ceremony that was held by one of her initiates as she's a traditional healer.
She alleges that on Tuesday, June 17, 2025, she went to the local police station for personal matters and that's when she was met with the horrific ordeal.
As she was tending to the matter she went to the police station for, she saw the police officer in question whom she's acquainted to as he is the father of her nephew and thought she should greet him given that it's been long since they last saw each other.
She says that she also wanted to ask about her nephew as well.
Sisipho alleges that she greeted him by referring to him as her nephew's father, which prompted him to respond aggressively.
'I went to the police station accompanied by a close family friend and as I was done, I saw him and decided to greet and ask how my nephew is since my cousin passed away, and I know him through her since they were romantically involved together. I greeted him by referring to him as the father of my nephew and little did I know I was not supposed to, he said; once you greet me that way that means you'll be too over familiar with me,' she says.
She further states that despite her attempts to brush off his behaviour as a joke, the officer slapped her causing her spectacles to fall off her face.
'I didn't take his words seriously and I was trying to brush what he had said off, and I asked him jokingly because I know him, I've interacted with him before, I asked why he's saying he doesn't want people to be over familiar with him, I still had a smile on my face, and in a blink of an eye he slapped me, and I don't know what influenced his behaviour to act like that as I was not even provocative towards him, I just greeted him that's all,' she said.
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Sisipho says she was still trying to figure out what had happened and in shock asked the alleged perpetrator why he slapped her, he threatened to do it again.
'I was still in shock trying to process what had happened and I asked him why he slapped me, and he said he'll do it again and as he said it, he was getting closer to me but fortunately was prevented by the person who had accompanied me to the station,' she added.
Sisipho claims that she then requested to speak to the station commander from one of the officers who was on duty but was told he's in a meeting and was instead given his contact number and she called him but was advised to open an assault case against the officer which she subsequently did.
'Bear in mind as he slapped me there was a long queue at the station and people saw him stripping me of my dignity and his two colleagues did too. The two police officers who were present weren't much help as I got tended to by the other police officer who was not there during the assault, but eventually I filed the case at least I thought so. And I was told by the officer handling my case that she had done everything and because I don't live there and was there for a short period of time I inquired in an effort to get more information as to what was to happen from there on and she told me I'll receive an SMS the next day with the details of my case. I knew that wasn't how the system works but I gave her the benefit of the doubt, and I asked what will happen to the perpetrator. She said he'll get arrested, and I took her word.'
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The same day June 17, 2025, Sisipho says that she had to go back to Cape Town as her leave days had ended and was supposed to resume work on Wednesday, June 18, 2025, but when she arrived in Cape Town on June 18 until Friday, June 20, 2025, she received no communication whatsoever, despite being told she'll receive it. She then took the issue to social media, specifically Facebook, where it gained significant traction and attention.
'I decided to take things into my own hands and because I have a huge following on Facebook, I used that in my quest to getting justice, and mostly because I was no longer in Cala now to go there and inquire about this,' she says.
Following her post, several other victims came forward alleging that they had experienced similar treatment at the hands of the same police officer. Notably, the police officer in question took to social media to respond to the allegations, but his posts showed no remorse for his actions.
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'Many more other women under my post's comments section also came out and said they've also suffered the same ill-treatment and brutality from him but were never brave enough to speak out as they were scared for their lives, so this is something he does at that police station but he's still there serving,' she stressed.
Additionally, the victim mentioned that when the perpetrator's posts were met with scrutiny and backlash from the public, he locked his Facebook page. Sisipho furthermore states that she later received an SMS notification about her case being opened only after the uproar social media made, leading her to suspect that the station may have been prompted to take action due to the public attention.
'Later that evening I received the SMS notification that I was meant to receive a day after filing the assault case, meaning had I sat back and relaxed they were not going to do anything about it, they'd let him walk away with it like with the other victims.'
Sisipho states that the assault had a significant impact on her physical and emotional well-being. She reported experiencing persistent ear pain and occasional headaches as a result of the incident.
'This has really taken a toll on me, my ear hurts so much, and I can't hear properly anymore, and I occasionally get severe headaches that require me to see a Dr,' Sisipho mentioned.
Despite these challenges, her primary motivation for seeking justice is not solely for redress, but rather to prevent similar incidents from occurring in the future.
'My quest for justice is driven by a desire to hold the officer accountable for his actions and to send a strong message to other law enforcement officials who may be engaging in similar behaviour. I hope my case will serve as a catalyst for change, and that police respect us as the public, everyone who abuses their power must be held accountable,' she concluded.
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In response to our inquiry, the station commander of the police station declined to comment on the matter, referring us to the communications department. We were subsequently informed by the communications team that the Cala police station had indeed opened a case of assault against the officer in question.
According to the communications team,
'Cala police opened a case of assault against the police, and the case was transferred to IPD for investigation,' reads the comment.
The case is still under investigation.