New wine into old wineskins : a theological reflection on police brutality in South Africa
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Date
Authors
Mokoena, Katleho Karabo
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Africa Journals
Abstract
South Africa is one of the most violent countries in the world with different types of violence
associated with crime, gender-based violence, and sexual violence amongst others. While the
South African Police Service (SAPS) is supposed to protect the most vulnerable victims of
violence in communities, they are also the perpetrators of violence in various forms of police
brutality such as using excessive force and torture which leads to death in some cases. Police
brutality is not a new phenomenon in South Africa; the South African Police (SAP) during
apartheid was para-military and known for its brutality. It was transformed into SAPS in democratic
South Africa to regard human dignity in policing. However, police brutality is still a major problem,
especially towards the poor in society. This was also evident during the COVID-19 lockdown as
South Africa was one of the top countries that had the most brutal lockdown enforcement in the
world. This article provides a theological reflection on police brutality from the biblical text Mark
2:18-22 ‘…no one pours new wine into old wineskins…’ This article argues that the SAPS has not
transformed regarding policing that upholds human dignity. It argues that SAPS is losing
confidence in communities as wounds of the past are re-emerging. This article proposes Ubuntu
in the SAPS for its transformation and emphasises collaborative efforts to combat police brutality,
heal wounds, and restore human dignity.
Description
Keywords
Mark 2:21-22, Ubuntu, Police brutality, Heal wounds, Human dignity, South African Police Service (SAPS), SDG-16: Peace, justice and strong institutions
Sustainable Development Goals
SDG-16:Peace,justice and strong institutions
Citation
Mokoena, K. 2024, 'New wine into old wineskins : a theological reflection on police brutality in South Africa', Pharos Journal of Theology, vol. 105, no. 1, pp. 1-13.
DOI: 10.46222/pharosjot.10511.