JOHANNESBURG – South Africa’s police watchdog is investigating the death of a Mozambican taxi driver who was allegedly handcuffed to the back of a police van and dragged through the streets.
— BBC Video footage taken by a bystander near Johannesburg has been shown in the local media.
A spokesman for the Police Investigative Directorate said he was “shocked” by the footage. Rights groups often accuse South African police of brutality. Local media reported that police initially assaulted the 27-year-old Mozambican, accusing him of parking his vehicle incorrectly in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg. The video shows a large crowd gathering as uniformed policemen tie him to a van, dragging him as they drive away.
He was later taken into custody where he died, local media reported.
“We are investigating an incident involving the death of a man allegedly at the hands of the police. We are shocked by the footage which has been released,” Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesman Moses Dlamini was quoted by AFP news agency as saying.
“The circumstances surrounding his death are still allegations . . . Let’s find out what really happened.”
The opposition Democratic Alliance party called for the officers involved to be suspended and for a thorough investigation to be carried out. Rights group Amnesty International said there was an “increasingly disturbing pattern” of police brutality in South Africa.
