Cops linked to suspect's death still on job
24 December 2009, 06:45
By Lebogang Seale
No action has yet been taken against the police officers who allegedly severely tortured two Soweto men, killing one of them.
This is despite post-mortem results showing that Mduduzi Gumede died of internal bleeding and spinal injuries "consistent with torture", according to the Independent Complaints Directorate.
And as the police top brass in Gauteng are still pondering whether to suspend their colleagues who allegedly killed Gumede and injured his friend Bongani Mnguni, the families of the two men are to sue the minister of police for more than R5-million.
Gumede, a taxi owner, died when he and Mnguni were allegedly tortured while detained at the Douglasdale police station in Sandton on Friday - the day they were arrested.
They were apprehended at the Fourways Mall for allegedly driving a car with false registration plates and for possessing car-breaking equipment.
Once at the station, the two were taken to the holding cells, where Gumede's head and face were allegedly wrapped with transparent plastic.
According to Mnguni, the police officers repeatedly kicked Gumede until he fell unconscious and died. He also alleged the officers had urinated on Gumede's face and chest as he lay writhing in pain.
On Wednesday, Gauteng police spokesman Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini said no action had been taken against the police officers involved in the incident because investigations were still continuing.
Asked why the officers had not been suspended pending the outcome of investigations, Dlamini said: "We don't just suspend before investigations. It's a process."
He added that "someone external" was investigating the matter and he could not say how many officers were involved.
But David Moerane, the attorney representing the Gumede and Mnguni families, said he would insist on the suspension of the alleged perpetrators.
He also would insist on the removal of Douglasdale station commissioner director Jenny Naidoo pending the outcome of the investigations.
"Any (police) officer involved must be suspended," Moerane said, adding that he would insist that the docket be taken to the provincial police, who should take over investigations.
He said he would soon be filing court papers against the minister of police for the damages resulting from the injuries the two men sustained and for the subsequent death of Gumede.
"We will be quantifying all the damages, but it will not be less than R5-million.
"The deceased had a family, including a little (five-month-old) child, and a business to look after, and we will be suing anytime from now."
Moerane said he was just awaiting the post-mortem results.
On Wednesday, Independent Complaints Directorate spokesperson Moses Dlamini said the post-mortem results were expected in about two weeks.
He added that the preliminary results had confirmed that "the internal bleeding and spinal injuries were consistent with torture".
National police commissioner Bheki Cele's spokesperson, Vish Naidoo, reserved comment.
All he would say was that the suspension of the police officers involved in Gumede's murder "depended on the circumstances of the case and the labour laws to follow".
No action has yet been taken against the police officers who allegedly severely tortured two Soweto men, killing one of them.
This is despite post-mortem results showing that Mduduzi Gumede died of internal bleeding and spinal injuries "consistent with torture", according to the Independent Complaints Directorate.
And as the police top brass in Gauteng are still pondering whether to suspend their colleagues who allegedly killed Gumede and injured his friend Bongani Mnguni, the families of the two men are to sue the minister of police for more than R5-million.
Gumede, a taxi owner, died when he and Mnguni were allegedly tortured while detained at the Douglasdale police station in Sandton on Friday - the day they were arrested.
They were apprehended at the Fourways Mall for allegedly driving a car with false registration plates and for possessing car-breaking equipment.
Once at the station, the two were taken to the holding cells, where Gumede's head and face were allegedly wrapped with transparent plastic.
According to Mnguni, the police officers repeatedly kicked Gumede until he fell unconscious and died. He also alleged the officers had urinated on Gumede's face and chest as he lay writhing in pain.
On Wednesday, Gauteng police spokesman Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini said no action had been taken against the police officers involved in the incident because investigations were still continuing.
Asked why the officers had not been suspended pending the outcome of investigations, Dlamini said: "We don't just suspend before investigations. It's a process."
He added that "someone external" was investigating the matter and he could not say how many officers were involved.
But David Moerane, the attorney representing the Gumede and Mnguni families, said he would insist on the suspension of the alleged perpetrators.
He also would insist on the removal of Douglasdale station commissioner director Jenny Naidoo pending the outcome of the investigations.
"Any (police) officer involved must be suspended," Moerane said, adding that he would insist that the docket be taken to the provincial police, who should take over investigations.
He said he would soon be filing court papers against the minister of police for the damages resulting from the injuries the two men sustained and for the subsequent death of Gumede.
"We will be quantifying all the damages, but it will not be less than R5-million.
"The deceased had a family, including a little (five-month-old) child, and a business to look after, and we will be suing anytime from now."
Moerane said he was just awaiting the post-mortem results.
On Wednesday, Independent Complaints Directorate spokesperson Moses Dlamini said the post-mortem results were expected in about two weeks.
He added that the preliminary results had confirmed that "the internal bleeding and spinal injuries were consistent with torture".
National police commissioner Bheki Cele's spokesperson, Vish Naidoo, reserved comment.
All he would say was that the suspension of the police officers involved in Gumede's murder "depended on the circumstances of the case and the labour laws to follow".
- This article was originally published on page 2 of The Star on December 24, 2009
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