HE went to the hospital to visit his sick father-in-law, only to end up in police holding cells, with bruises all over his body.
This is the sad, harrowing story of Zwelakhe Mabuyakhulu (38), a prison warder at Qalakabusha Correctional Services, who told Zululand Observer on Wednesday a disturbing story of having suffered police brutality.
Mabuyakhulu said on Sunday evening he, his three young children, their mother, his mother-in-law and sister-in-law went to visit their relative at Netcare The Bay Hospital in Richards Bay as usual, and, as usual, he carried his licensed fire-arm with him.
‘At the hospital reception, I was asked to declare my fire-arm, which I did as per the norm, and was allowed to proceed to the ward with it.
‘However, when we got to the hospital ward, a nurse in attendance queried the gun, and when I told her it was cleared by the control office at reception, she didn’t understand and alerted hospital security.
‘Two security officials then approached me, and, while trying to explain myself to them, they radioed the local police.
‘Before I knew what was happening, two police officials barged in and bundled me downstairs.’
The police officers, from Richards Bay Police Services, ordered him to get into one of the police vans.
When he refused, he was forced to get in another unidentified police van, and driven to the police station.
‘At the police station, I was ushered into one of the interrogation rooms, and the Colonel in charge of the shift and other police officers, began cross-examining me.
‘This whole time I was explaining about the legitimacy of my fire-arm, which they had confiscated.
‘Then they gave it back to me, and when I went to the front desk to lay a charge of harassment and insult, one of the police constables behind the desk jumped over the desk, threw me onto the floor, and began punching and kicking me, and like bees, more police just swooped on me and punched, kicked, throttled and threw me around while insulting me,” Mabuyakhulu said.
‘This happened in full view of my family, members of the public, other police officers, while the lady Colonel, who was in charge of the shift, cheered them on.
‘When they were finished, they dragged me into the filthy police cells, and I was made to sleep on the cold floor till the following morning.’
At court the following day, the charge of pointing a fire-arm was thrown out of court by the prosecutor, and she advised him to lay a charge against his assailants.
‘Because Mabuyakhulu’s case involved police officers, his case was handed over to the IPID for further investigation,’ said Richards Bay Police Spokesperson Captain Debbie Ferreira.
Zululand Observer was able to confirm that the IPID, Empangeni office, acknowledged having received the docket for a case laid by Mabuyakhulu, and said they are investigating a charge of assault.
this rubbish and nonsense policemen we have in our country!!!!! instead of chasing away criminals they busy beating up innocent people. when we call them for help they tell you that there’s no vehicle. Nathi Mthethwa should do something about this otherwise we will find ways of sorting this thing out.