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Protesting former Ekurhuleni municipal workers were met with rubber bullets, teargas and the k-word when they marched to the Germiston Civic Centre on Thursday.
News24's Sumeya Gasa who was tasked with covering the protest, confirmed metro police repeatedly used the k-word while dispersing the crowd that had gathered to demand permanent jobs.
"They said 'f**k off, f**k off, you're a f*****g k****r,'" Gasa said.
EFF Ekurhuleni caucus leader Mampuru Mampuru said this wasn't the first time police had lobbed racist insults at protesters.
"I heard them saying: 'Hier is die swart k****. Bliksem, bliksem, bliksem'," Mampuru said.
"I heard them saying that. They were shouting that directly at me."
Internal investigation
Mampuru said he was choke-slammed, punched, pepper sprayed twice and hit with a gun on his forehead.
He says he has heard the k-word being used for years and even complained to the mayor that there was a "group of racist metro police here in Ekurhuleni".
Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department spokesperson Inspector Kobeli Mokheseng told News24 that the department was not aware of any instances of the k-word being used.
It will, however, be investigating the matter.
"Since the matter has been brought to our attention, we have forwarded it to our internal affairs unit to investigate," he said.
"If the allegations are found to be true, disciplinary measures will be applied."
