Khayelitsha resident Aviwe Mtitsibana was allegedly assaulted by two police officers on January 6. Khayelitsha resident Aviwe Mtitsibana was allegedly assaulted by two police officers on January 6.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) is investigating a police report after Khayelitsha resident Aviwe Mtitsibana accused two police officers of assaulting him in Solomon Tshuku Road in Site B on January 6.
Ipid spokesperson Moses Dlamini said: “I can confirm that a common assault matter has been reported to Ipid. The case will be investigated and contact will be made with the complainant by the investigator assigned to the case.”
Mtitsibana, 27, said that at about 10.45pm on January 6,
he was driving home after dropping his daughter in Site B. His neighbour, Slindokuhle Tshangatshanga, and his two nephews were passengers in his vehicle.
He had stopped at the
Caltex garage in Site C to buy airtime.
At the garage, Mtitsibana said he offered two women a lift as they were going in the same direction.
After initially hesitating, the women hopped into the car when they realised there were two children sitting in the back seat.
Mtitsibana said his neighbour noticed two police vans following them in Solomon Tshuku Road.
He said that after pulling over on the side of the road, one of the police vehicles increased speed to stop in front, while the other stopped at the back of his car.
Mtitsibana said six policemen approached them with their guns pointing towards his vehicle.
He said the cops demanded his phone while they searched the car.
Mtitsibana said: “I put my hands up and leaned towards my car. Since I don’t drink or smoke, I knew I had nothing to hide.
“I let them search my car and they only found my T-shirts in the boot.
“When I asked why they had stopped us, one of the policemen replied: ‘Mnq*ndu wakho, ucimba siyadlalisa apha!’ (You a*** *le, you think we are playing here),” Mtitsibana said.
“Because I was surprised by this response, I repeated the part “my a*** *le”, and the policeman manhandled me,” he said.
Mtitsibana said his older brother arrived on the scene, and when he asked the policemen why they were treating him in such a manner, one of them pointed a gun at him.
Mtitsibana said that after the police officers left, they drove to the Site B police station to open a case.
“The police at the station refused to do anything until their colleagues who had assaulted me arrived, even though my eye had been injured in the assault,” he said.
“I told them that I am not
a criminal and I needed to see
a doctor in hospital.”