Who Will Watch the Watchers? A Critical Perspective on Police Brutality in Post-Apartheid South Africa

Police brutality is a highly charged topic which has been prevalent both locally and internationally. Scholars contend that theory-based research has recently emerged to precisely explain this police behaviour. There are theorists from several schools of thought who seek to attribute causality for police violence. In this article, three of the more popular existing theories will be examined: social conflict theory, symbolic interactionism, and the control balance theory. To this end, the article has three objectives. Firstly, it scrutinises the relevant theories dealing with the issue of police brutality. Secondly, it discusses the relevant domestic and international instruments that seek to address the problem of police brutality. Lastly, this article makes recommendations regarding how the system of policing in South Africa can be revamped.