The Rastafarian community is speaking up after a local business owner died while being held in police custody.

On December 14, 2019, 48-year-old Jan de Bruin was arrested by Cape Town police for suspicion of having drugs in his home.

De Bruin and additional family members were assaulted after de Bruin asked the police if they had a search warrant, reports Independent Online. De Bruin was arrested and died while being held in jail. The Rastafarian community in Cape Town is not having it and are protesting in search of answers.

Ras Hein Scheepers, a community activist in Cape Town, is calling for the suspension of the officers involved in de Bruin's death.

"We call for an urgent investigation of Wellington police station where Jan de Bruin died in custody. We are calling on Ipid not to cover up police brutality as the new decade commences," Scheepers said.

The animosity between law enforcement and South Africans has been brewing for quite some time.

"There exists a culture of disrespect and impunity among perpetrators of human rights violations among [South African Police Service] and local government law enforcement agencies. These abuses cannot be allowed to continue within the state of South Africa, perpetuated by individuals employed in the public service," said Gareth Prince, one of the organizers of the protest.

Nonetheless, law enforcement recalls accounts of the arrest differently.

"Police executed a drug raid on the man’s home on Dec. 14 during which officers say they were attacked, leading to a 'scuffle between the [SAPS] members and residents.’"

De Bruin's relatives believe he was apprehended because of his religious beliefs and lifestyle.

"Because he is a Rasta they [police] assumed he sold [weed], but he didn’t. They did not find anything, so we have no idea why they were even here. They have always targeted him, destroying his place," said Anna de Bruin, the deceased's cousin.

Rastafarianism is a religion that can be traced back to the 18th century. The religion gained followers due to the expansion of Ethiopianism and Pan-Africanism. Rastafarianism gained more traction in Jamaica when Emperor Haile Selassie I was coronated in Ethiopia in 1930, according to History.

Anna mentioned that de Bruin has been under the radar of police before and that prior searches proved that he didn't sell drugs.

"They have never found anything here. He sold fruit, vegetables and herbs. He also made little cars out of wire, and his business was successful."

Due to de Bruin's death, an investigation has been initiated.

"An inquest and a case of attempted murder have been opened for investigation after an incident occurred at Colibri Street in Wellington on Saturday, at about 5.55pm, a post-mortem will be conducted to determine the cause of his death," said Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk.

"Ipid confirms that we are investigating the death as a result of police action in Wellington. No arrest have yet been made," stated IPID spokesperson Sontaga Seisa.

Although statistics are difficult to obtain in South Africa and the U.S., Mail & Guardian suggests that violence in SA is more rampant. According to data compiled in 2013, there were 17,068 homicides in SA compared to 16,121 in the U.S. 

"You’re about six times more likely to be murdered in South Africa," according to the Mail and Guardian.