‘Officers whipped us with sjamboks’
April 12 2013 at 10:30am
By Charlotte Chipangura
By Charlotte Chipangura
Johannesburg - Two Kempton Park men
picked up by police officers say they were taken to the station, whipped with
sjamboks, and driven back home.
No charges were laid against Selwyn
Afrikander, 23, and his friend, Curwin Pillay, 24.
“They (the police) simply handcuffed
us, threw us into their van, drove to their station, whipped us with the
sjambok by the smoking area and drove us back home,” said Afrikander.
Afrikander recounted a series of
suspicious events leading to this incident. He said an intruder had entered his
house on April 1, and had pointed a gun at his mother and sister. The gunman
then fled.
He said that on April 4 Pillay was
stripped, while out on the street, and came to his house for help.
Then on April 6, Afrikander said, he
and Pillay returned home at about 1am and found an intruder in his yard.
“Given the events leading up to this
day, we used excessive force and took him out of the yard.”
He said it was just after they had
removed the man that they were picked up by the police.
The Star has the name of a constable
that Afrikander identified as having assaulted him. Pillay was also whipped and
had a plastic bag held over his head.
One of the officers is alleged to have
said: “I took drugs from a Nigerian and will frame you with it.”
Afrikander and Pillay have opened a
case of assault at the Kempton Park police station. They have also lodged a
complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.
The Star contacted Warrant Officer
Collins, the investigating officer for the case. He confirmed he was
investigating, but referred questions to Kempton Park SAPS spokesperson Captain
Jethro Mtshali.
Efforts to get comment from Pillay were
unsuccessful.
Mtshali said he strongly condemned the
assault and said investigations were continuing. The two officers involved in
the attack are continuing to work on the case, pending the outcome of the
investigation. - The Star
