09/10/2024
To All Business Owners and Residents of Hermanus,
It's time to raise our voices and spread the word far and wide: we are paying for a service that we are clearly not receiving.
Let’s stand together and demand the quality of service we deserve. We cannot allow this neglect to continue.
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On the 8th of October 2024, victims were once again treated like criminals by the Hermanus SAPS and detectives on duty at the Hermanus Police Station. As the owner of **BudgetPrint**, my experience of **assault** and **forced entry**, witnessed by my customers, should have been treated with urgency and respect. Instead, I was met with **intimidation** and **dismissal**, and it has become clear that this is not an isolated incident.
After refusing to sign a **blank document**, I was **told to leave the station**. The three detectives on duty did not listen to my account of the crime, opting instead to downplay the seriousness of the situation—likely in an attempt to avoid the paperwork required. This behavior was not just frustrating; it was a blatant **failure of justice**.
What is even more alarming is that this pattern of mistreatment is not unique to me. In speaking with other business owners in the Hermanus area, it has become clear that many **white-owned businesses** are experiencing the same dismissive and hostile treatment by the police. This is no longer just a case of incompetence or indifference; it appears to be a case of **reverse racism** within the **Hermanus Police Department**, where white business owners are systematically being treated with disrespect and disregard by the very officers sworn to serve and protect.
I call upon all business owners to **stand up against this injustice**. We cannot allow this **racist behavior** to continue unchallenged. As business owners, we are the backbone of the community, providing jobs and services, and we deserve the same protection and respect as any other citizen. The **forced entry into BudgetPrint**, the **intimidation tactics** used by the detectives, and the **trauma my customers witnessed** should have prompted immediate action. Instead, the police seemed intent on downplaying the crime, dismissing my claims of forced entry, and categorizing the incident as a mere "normal assault."
This is not just an issue of poor policing—it is an issue of **injustice** and **discrimination**. The **reverse racism** being practiced by the Hermanus SAPS detectives is unacceptable. As victims, we are not being treated fairly, and as business owners, we are being disrespected and denied justice.
I have learned that under **South African law**—including the **Intimidation Act**, **Fi****ms Control Act**, and **common law protections for victims**—I had every right to demand justice for the assault and forced entry into my business. Yet, the Hermanus police have **chosen to downplay these crimes**, robbing me and others of our rights as victims. Their **intimidation tactics** and refusal to acknowledge the gravity of the situation demonstrate a gross **misuse of power**.
This is why I will continue to engage the public and authorities on a **daily basis** about what is happening at Hermanus Police Station. Every day that passes without action is another day where **white business owners** are subjected to **racist treatment** and **disregarded as victims**.
I urge all business owners in Hermanus—particularly those who have been treated unjustly by the police—to speak out. We must **demand accountability** and call for an investigation into the **discriminatory practices** at the Hermanus Police Station. We cannot allow this **injustice** to continue. If we remain silent, we allow the system to fail us, and we let those in power abuse their authority.
This is not just my fight—it is a fight for **justice** for all business owners who have been mistreated, for all victims whose cases have been **downplayed or ignored**, and for all citizens who deserve to live and work without fear of discrimination from the very institutions meant to protect us.
