Description

Black Bronville residents in Welkom threaten to torch the police station if popular - just transferred - white police officer a/o Nico Smit is not returned

2010-12-07 Tom de Wet WELKOM. –Afrikaner police officer w/o Nico Smit had to fight for his life at the Bronville, Welkom police station when a fellow black officer threatened him with a knife, cursed him for a 'white pig, a dog, and I hate all white men..' and attacked him with a knobkierie.

After the incident during which station-commander had to stop the black officer from killing the popular Afrikaner officer, the station commander transferred w/o Smit out of the police station for his own protection. Local Bronville residents promptly held a demonstration demanding that Smit be brought back - even threatening that 'Bronville would burn' if he wasn't.

He was transferred to another police station to protect him from his fellow officer, the station commander said.

A delegation of residents from Bronville who spoke to Volksblad newspaper said that Smit was 'the innocent victim, that he was the best cop Bronville had ever had, and that the campaign against him was motivated by racism."

A leading Bronville resident, Mr John Wangra, said he witnessed the entire event in which w/o Smit was cursed with foul racist language. "We were standing outside the police station when a long breadknife suddenly was thrown out of the window.
"I looked through the window and saw that a (black) warrant officer was being held back behind a door by the station commander, and I went inside where I found Smit at the service centre.

He confirmed to me that the (black) colleague wanted to kill him. The (black) w/o and his station commander then came down the hallway and I took the (black) w/o on the arm to try and calm him down.
"I told him that if he didn't listen to his commanding officer who will he listen to?
"He left and then came back with a knobkierie. Everywhere around there were residents who could have been injured by the fracas including elderly and children.'
He said Smit kept trying to calm matters down and defuse the tense situation.
Democratic Alliance spokeswoman Daphne Fanie and police-community forum member Chrisjan Ouman also said they were convinced that 'racism' was behind the incident against Smit's sudden transfer.
"He is a policeman in heart and bones. He is the best thing which could have happened to Bronville.
When he saw our children in the neighbourhood sniffing glue, he would stop and get involved and talked to them about it.
"We all wish we could get ten white police officers like him. The others mean nothing'.
Volksblad was informed that the attacker of w/o Smit had a criminal record for which he was given a suspended sentence, and was arrested a month earlier on a charge of corruption.
He was however never suspended from the police force.
"We demand that he immediately gets suspended and removed from Bronville. Residents say if Smit does not get brought back, Bronville will burn'.
Smit confirmed that he had submitted formal charges of intidimidation, assault and crimen injuria against his colleague.
Station commander w.o Malebo Khosana confirmed the incident.
He said it was kicked off by an exchange of words between the two officers.
"Management intervened and to defuse the situation Smit was transferred temporarily,' he said.

- Volksblad http://www.volksblad.com/Suid-Afrika/Nuus/Woonbuurt-sal-brand-oor-polisieman-dreig-inwoners-20101206