It is shocking when police resort to apartheid-era methods of forcing suspects to admit to a crime. Even more when they force a confession from a suspect who did not commit a crime.

It is shocking when police resort to apartheid-era methods of forcing suspects to admit to a crime. Even more when they force a confession from a suspect who did not commit a crime.

We carried a report of police arresting two men suspected of having stolen money from their employer in Mpumalanga at the weekend.

Despite pleading innocent to the crime, police allegedly tortured them for nearly 10 hours trying to extract confessions from them. One of the suspects, Amos Rathethe, died in the police station cell shortly after being severely punished.

Any person arrested on suspicion of having committed a crime should be given a fair hearing in a court of law.

Before that, police are expected to investigate thoroughly and gather enough evidence for the prosecution team to prove the State's case.

They are also expected to uphold the laws of this country, that clearly state one is innocent until proven guilty in court. These facts should be obtained without breaking the law.

Police who abused their powers and took the law into their hands, resulting in Rathethe's death, must be arrested and charged with murder.

Mpumalanga's provincial police have promised to investigate the incident.

We hope the culprits will be immediately suspended pending the outcome of their trial in a court of law.