A Muizenberg couple has lost their bid to claim more than R500,000 in damages after being detained by police during South Africa's COVID-19 lockdown in 2020.
According to reports, the Western Cape High Court ruled that police acted lawfully when they arrested and detained the couple for approximately six hours while enforcing the lockdown regulations that were in effect at the time.
The incident occurred when the couple entered a closed beach in Muizenberg to retrieve their toddler, who had reportedly wandered onto the sand and refused to leave. Although the parents said they only entered the beach to rescue their daughter, police arrested them for violating the lockdown restrictions.
The couple, along with their child, was taken to a police station and later released with a warning to appear in court. However, the charges against them were subsequently withdrawn.
In their civil claim, the parents argued that the detention caused them severe anxiety and emotional distress. They also raised concerns about the conditions under which they were detained.
Police maintained that officers were carrying out their duty by enforcing the COVID-19 regulations in force at the time and denied exposing the family to unsafe conditions during the detention.
The Western Cape High Court ultimately found that the officers had acted within the law while implementing the lockdown regulations, dismissing the couple's claim for damages
Done By: Keelyn Jardien
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