Not-for-profit organisation Freedom Under Law (FUL) joined the condemnation of racism and discrimination against Africans at the hands of police and the security forces.

Worldwide protests surged last week in the wake of the death of African American man George Floyd, who died after a Minneapolis police officer kneeled on his neck for more than eight minutes.

“As an organisation dedicated to the rule of law, we at FUL are mindful that the police brutality meted out to George Floyd in the US and the millions of peaceful protestors it has rallied around the world in outrage at a system infected by racism and discrimination underline that law as double-standard is worse than no law at all. Rule of law emptied of justice, fairness, and equality can merit no respect: its enforcers deserve no trust,” said FUL CEO Nicole Fritz.

She said the countrywide protests should remind South Africa of its own past, adding that even today victims of abuse at the hand of police and security forces are almost always black.

Fritz pointed also to the death of Collins Khoza who was killed by members of the South African National Defence Force as violative of the rule of law.

“We are reminded of our own past here in South Africa – that we need not look beyond our borders for examples of the pernicious effects of racism and discrimination,” Fritz said.

She said Floyd’s death was a symbol of what was wrong.

She called for investigation and prosecution in cases during lockdown in which deaths following arrest or other police action are reported.

“Such deaths are to be abhorred at any time but especially under a lockdown regime that can derive its legitimacy only from protecting the lives of all in our country,” she said.