ATM Parliamentary Leader Vuyo Zungula has formally requested urgent ministerial intervention and an independent IPID investigation into alleged police brutality, the deployment of stun grenades, and the arrest of March and March members on Moore Road in Durban.
In a letter dated 11 October 2026 addressed to Acting Minister of Police Firoz Cachalia and IPID Executive Director Jennifer Ntlatseng, Zungula cites reports from March and March leader Jacinta Ngobese-Zuma that a member known as Wandile sustained serious injuries and was hospitalised after a stun grenade was allegedly directed at him. The explosion is reported to have caused a severe injury to his genital area. Shitafu Magolide and Wandile were both arrested during the incident.
Concerns raised by circulating footage
Videos circulating on social media appear to show protesters engaging with police officers without an obvious physical confrontation before stun grenades were deployed. Zungula says the footage raises serious questions about the sequence of events, the necessity and proportionality of the force used, and whether less harmful alternatives were available.
“The seriousness of these allegations, particularly the reported injury to Wandile, warrants an urgent, independent and impartial investigation,” Zungula writes. He stresses that the lawfulness of the police response cannot be determined simply by asserting that officers were performing their duties. It must be assessed against the specific circumstances, the conduct of all parties, and the rules governing the use of force.
Constitutional protections highlighted
The letter highlights constitutional protections under Section 10,12,17 and 35, which guarantee human dignity, freedom from violence and degrading treatment, the right to peaceful assembly, and the rights of arrested persons. These protections, Zungula notes, apply to all people regardless of political affiliation.
Calls for thorough IPID investigation
He has called on IPID to register the complaint and, where the legal requirements are met, to open a full investigation. This should include the urgent preservation of all relevant evidence, identification of the officers who deployed the stun grenades and those involved in the arrests, an assessment of whether the force used was lawful and proportionate, independent medical documentation of Wandile's injuries, examination of the circumstances of the two arrests, interviews with affected individuals and witnesses, and the securing of SAPS operational records, communications and equipment registers.
Requests directed at the Minister
Zungula has further requested that the Minister formally refer the matter to IPID, ensure SAPS preserves evidence and cooperates fully, obtain a factual account from the police service, and facilitate IPID's access to records while issuing appropriate public communication.
He emphasises that the investigation must remain independent of the police command structures under scrutiny and must not proceed on assumptions of fault by either side. The fact that individuals were arrested, he notes, does not establish guilt or retrospectively justify the use of force against them.
Accountability and public confidence
“Public confidence in SAPS depends not only on its ability to enforce the law, but also on its willingness to account for the exercise of its powers,” Zungula states. He makes clear that the request is not intended to interfere with lawful policing or to prejudge any party, but to demand accountability, transparency and adherence to the Constitution.
Zungula has asked both offices to confirm in writing that the complaint has been received, that evidence is being preserved, and that the necessary investigative steps are under way.