The harrowing, premature and violent death of Nateniel Julies at the hands of those who – if anything – should’ve protected him, brings to light the brutality of our police.
Brutality we often referred to in the beginning stages of our hard lockdown when the security forces are said to have killed at least 10 people while enforcing the rules imposed to impede the spread of the coronavirus.
Some of the content shared on social media showed some rough individuals in uniform with no sense of right or wrong, shielded by their badges that allow them to use physical force in the name of law and order. Though the context is somewhat different, what is similar is that Nateniel was also a victim of the abuse of power by badge-wearing individuals.
Nateniel’s killing and his positionality in society epitomises what we refer to as intersectionality. Nateniel is made vulnerable firstly on the basis that he is a child; secondly, he is disabled and in addition to this, his race, because it is attached to particular problematic stereotypes which may well have contributed to his treatment.
The psyche of the police officers in such areas often is to be suspicious, which is deeply problematic. This is the danger of sweeping generalisations, the innocent get harmed because of where they are and how they look.
The above combination of factors makes him an easy target for trigger-happy police officers who have no regard for their “to serve and to protect” duty. I cannot help but wonder if the outcome of this tragic case would have been different if it was a boy with the same characteristics but of a different race, in a suburb and not in a community such as Eldos.
This is not to racialise the death of Nateniel, but how his race, class, the community he is from and his disability made him an easy target for what would have otherwise not occurred if he presented with different demographical characteristics.
Often when I speak of SA's policing and its inefficiencies, I refer to what seems to be lacking in the training of police officers. It is apparent that our police officers have a lack of holistic training that makes them cognisant of the broader societal context in which they work and the responsibility that comes with it.
Awareness that would equip them with a nuanced outlook on the scenarios they come across, an outlook that forces them to think before they act. Maybe they would have noticed the social cues from Nateniel and responded appropriately. This is not the first instance where police officers are found wanting. Victims of sexual assault and abuse come face to face with this aloof and detached demeanour.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has confirmed that two police officers have been arrested in relation to the murder of Nateniel in Eldorado Park.
This is a critical step. It is my hope, and that of many South Africans, that this ends with convictions. We have far too many instances where communities are disappointed, worsening the already diminishing faith citizens have in our justice system, which disappoints us over and over again.
The badge shouldn’t stand in the way of ordinary civilians getting justice. We should all be absorbed by the killing of Nateniel because it could have been any one of our children who walked to the nearest tuck shop to buy biscuits, but returned home in a body bag.
Also infuriating is the cover-up alleged to have been done by the police at the crime scene. And the cold manner in which they proceeded to put his body in the van and left it at the hospital like trash, as described by James Julies, Nateniel's grandfather.
It is important that we as society see decisiveness in dealing with law enforcement officers who misuse their power.
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