Viewfinder is a new accountability journalism project, incubated in GroundUp but intending to become its own independent publication in time. Viewfinder does long term investigations into abuses of power which impact on the public interest – specifically as it relates to the need for equality and redress – in post-apartheid South African society.
Viewfinder's first exposé, launched in October 2019, shows how IPID, the police watchdog, has failed to properly investigate serious complaints against the police, including rape and assault. Yet IPID has manipulated statistics to give the impression that has investigated these allegations.
Check out the Viewfinder website.
39 children died at the hands of police or in custody between April 2012 and March 2018
7 September 2020
Does Jennifer Ntlatseng have what it takes to run the police watchdog?
21 July 2020
Investigator has still not returned to the scene of the assault or interviewed key witnesses, according to Miggels’ family
10 June 2020
This comes after two investigators were pulled from task team
29 May 2020
Funding shortfalls call into question IPID’s ability to fulfil its mandate
14 May 2020
“Even though we know that nothing will bring him back, this is still welcome news” says step-daughter
8 May 2020
Many allegations that accountability has got worse during lockdown
6 May 2020
Police were accused of killing five people during the enforcement of the first three weeks of Covid-19 lockdown
30 April 2020
“How can they say that he just dropped dead?” asks his stepdaughter after witnesses describe how Petrus Miggels was beaten by police
29 April 2020
Revealed: A staggering range of police corruption
15 April 2020
IPID is also investigating 13 complaints related to shootings and 14 assault cases
3 April 2020
Lockdown exposes police brutality that has always been widespread and routine
1 April 2020
IPID’s new head has suspended a number of officials, including national head of investigations Matthews Sesoko
11 March 2020
IPID will prioritise investigating the most serious allegations against officers
27 February 2020
By its own admission, the police watchdog does not have the resources to properly investigate all the cases in its workload
25 February 2020
Auditor-General warned police watchdog against manipulating statistics in 2017
5 December 2019