The murder of George Floyd has led to protests across America, and the world, and anger over a law enforcement system that routinely fails to hold anybody accountable for the violence perpetrated against black men in particular.

If you haven’t yet seen how Derek Chauvin murdered Floyd, as three other officers stood by and watched, this New York Times video provides a look at exactly how events unfolded.

It is an incredibly difficult, and necessary, watch.

Many South Africans posted a black square on social media (fine, but don’t use #blacklivesmatter and don’t stop there), but here at home incidents of brutality against our own citizens failed to generate the same degree of anger.

The death of Collins Khosa at the hands of SANDF members stands out, but it’s just one example of law enforcement’s failure to ensure the safety of our citizens.

Earlier this week, the Daily Maverick published an article outlining the “breathtaking level of police violence in South Africa”, pointing out that “over 230 000 people have been arrested…while 11 South Africans (all black men, like George Floyd, the American killed by police) have died in police action during the lockdown”.

In a recent segment, Carte Blanche took a closer look at Khosa’s death, and other examples that stand out:

Even the United Nations has slammed heavy-handed police action in the country calling it “one of the worst” during the global pandemic. But for some South Africans, the abuse didn’t end there.

Thousands of people arrested for minor infringements of lockdown rules and forced to pay admission of guilt fines, have now earned themselves criminal records for going about lawful essential tasks of buying food, prepaid electricity and fetching their children.

With wannabe gangster Bheki Cele in charge, contrition seems unlikely, but that doesn’t mean South Africans should stop

You’re signing tobacco sales ban petitions, and fire Nkosazana Dlamini-Zuma petitions, and you’re posting black squares, but are you silent regarding police brutality against South Africans?

Here’s that Carte Blanche segment:

[source:carteblanche]