On Friday, 28 June 2024, police reportedly shot and killed Aphelele Jokanisi en route from Flagstaff to Lusikisiki in the Eastern Cape. Aphelele Jokanisi is the brother of the late Semi Jokanisi who was shot and killed by police in Marikana on 13 August 2012. Aphelele was 30 years old and is survived by his father and siblings. He will be laid to rest in his hometown of Lusikisiki on Sunday, 14 July 2024. SERI mourns this loss and condemns, in the strongest terms, the police violence which caused the death. We send our deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of the Jokanisi family.
The family shares that Aphelele was travelling with a friend, Yandisa Jajula, when they were reportedly attacked by the police and brutally shot multiple times in the presence of his eight-year-old nephew Ambusise Jokanisi. Ambusise survived the incident. They were returning from his grandmother’s funeral in Flagstaff, Eastern Cape. Having viewed the body, the family report that Aphelele was shot multiple times on the arms and head. The family has opened a case against the police, and the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating the incident.
The Jokanisi family has now lost two children to police brutality. Their eldest son, Semi Jokanisi, was killed in an incident that resulted in the death of two other miners, Mr Thembelakhe Mati and Mr Pumzile Sokanyile as well as police officers Warrant Officer Tsietsi Hendrik Monene, and Warrant Officer Sello Ronnie Lepaauku. Six police officers are currently standing trial for the events of 13 August 2012. The trial, which commenced in 2021, sits intermittently at the Mahikeng High Court for a few days at a time every few months. It is unclear when the trial will be brought to conclusion.
The police have a constitutional duty to protect life. Following the Marikana Commission of Inquiry, a panel of experts was established to examine policing and crowd management. In its report, the Panel noted that “the recognition and protection of life as a key principle is a hallmark of professional policing” and thereby called for the adoption of ‘the Use of Force Policy and Guidelines developed by the Civilian Secretariat for Police Service, which were approved by the Minister of Police in 2018. However, this killing tragically demonstrates shows that neither the law nor the guidelines have prevailed.
Joyce Jokanisi, Semi Jokanisi’s mother, was laid to rest in January 2021 without seeing justice for her son’s death. Semi Jokanisi’s son, Ayabonga, tragically committed suicide due to bullying at school about his father’s death. While all families deal with loss as a difficult but certain part of life, the particular suffering and trauma that the Jokanisi family have endured can be traced to events at Marikana, which has been compounded by the lack of justice and closure. We believe that police impunity made the killing of Aphelele Jokanisi possible. We mourn with the family and stand in solidarity with their pursuit of justice for Aphelele’s death.
SERI attorney Asenati Tukela says, “It is our view that the state’s failure to fully acknowledge and provide redress for Marikana, as well as its failure to prioritise accountability and discipline, has allowed the police, once again, to act with impunity against the public. This cannot continue.”
- Download the press statement here.