Protesters shout as a police vehicle drives into the
Daveyton Police station east of Johannesburg, near where
police were caught on video dragging a man hundreds of
metres from the back of a van. REUTERS/Stringer
South African police were caught on video dragging a man
hundreds of metres from the back of a van, hours before he died
in custody, drawing a storm of protest against a force accused
of routine brutality.
The 27-year-old Mozambican taxi driver, Mido Macia, was found
dead in detention with signs of head injuries and internal
bleeding, according to an initial post mortem report released
by the country's police watchdog.
The incident, videotaped on Tuesday and broadcast nationwide
on Thursday, was condemned by President Jacob Zuma and
opposition politicians.
"The visuals of the incident are horrific, disturbing and
unacceptable. No human being should be treated in that
manner", said Zuma in a statement that described the incident
as "the tragic death of a man in the hands of the police".
Police told media they detained Macia after he parked
illegally, creating a traffic jam, and then resisted arrest.
The video clearly shows the man scuffling with police, who
subdue him. He is then bound to the back of the van by his
arms before the vehicle drives off in front of scores of
witnesses in the east Johannesburg area of Daveyton.
Police commissioner Riah Phiyega said she was looking into
the "alleged brutal treatment" by officers "in a very serious
light and it is strongly condemned".
SCANDALS
Her force has been caught up in a series of scandals in
recent months.
The lead detective in the murder case against Olympic and
Paralympic star Oscar Pistorius was removed from the
investigation last week when it emerged he was facing seven
attempted murder charges for allegedly opening fire on a
minibus full of passengers..
Police shot dead 34 striking workers at a platinum mine in
August last year - the deadliest security incident since
apartheid ended in 1994.
The video footage and the man's death raised fresh concerns
about police brutality in a country where more than 1,200
people a year die while in custody.
The incident dominated the agenda on talk shows and social
media through the day.
"How much longer must South Africans live in fear of the very
people who are supposed to protect them?" the opposition
Democratic Alliance said in a statement.
The government's police watchdog investigated 1,276 cases of
people dying in police custody in 2011. There were 30 police
convicted of criminal acts for killing those in custody
during the period, it said.
Zuma's African National Congress, which took power when
apartheid ended, has tried to change a police force known for
the arbitrary and brutal killings of thousands who wanted to
end white-minority rule.
The ANC government changed the name from police "force" to
police "service" and said its focus was to protect all
citizens.
But the police service today is filled with underpaid
officers who have done little to combat some of the highest
crime rates of any of the Group of 20 global economic powers.
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