Riot Hlatshwayo
The family of slain Mbombela municipality speaker, Jimmy Mohlala, has told of their shock after being subjected to "torturous interrogation" by Mpumalanga police
"It was the police organised crime unit. I don't know how to describe what they did. Whatever it was they were after, their action shocked us," Tshepiso Mohlala, 19, said yesterday.
Police have confirmed that they took Mohlala's widow, Bonny, son Tshepiso, and cousin Wandile in for questioning last week Thursday.
But they deny that they tortured any of them.
"They accused us of being involved in the January 4 shooting of my husband," Bonny Mohlala said.
She told Sowetan that the police had called earlier, saying they should not leave the house on Thursday morning.
"They asked that the children should not go to school. When they arrived they instructed us to go upstairs and called us into the garage one by one," said Mohlala, who is still wearing black mourning gowns.
She said the police called Tshepiso first and slapped him across the face before asking him any question.
"I'm sure they were trying to scare him so that he could say things they wanted him to say," said Mohlala.
Tshepiso, who is still using crutches after his father's killers shot him in the leg, said he fell down after a policeman had slapped him.
"I was very frightened. I did not understand why the police were assaulting me," said Tshepiso.
He said they put a plastic bag over his head that caused him to suffocate, and used an electric belt to shock him.
Mohlala showed Sowetan marks around her wrists that she claimed were caused by handcuffs .
She also had a swollen neck, claiming the police tried to kill her by strangling her and accused her of paying hitmen to assassinate her husband.
Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi confirmed that police had questioned the family but denied knowledge of the alleged torture.
Cops tortured us, says widow
Riot Hlatshwayo
The family of slain Mbombela municipality speaker, Jimmy Mohlala, has told of their shock after being subjected to "torturous interrogation" by Mpumalanga police
"It was the police organised crime unit. I don't know how to describe what they did. Whatever it was they were after, their action shocked us," Tshepiso Mohlala, 19, said yesterday.
Police have confirmed that they took Mohlala's widow, Bonny, son Tshepiso, and cousin Wandile in for questioning last week Thursday.
But they deny that they tortured any of them.
"They accused us of being involved in the January 4 shooting of my husband," Bonny Mohlala said.
She told Sowetan that the police had called earlier, saying they should not leave the house on Thursday morning.
"They asked that the children should not go to school. When they arrived they instructed us to go upstairs and called us into the garage one by one," said Mohlala, who is still wearing black mourning gowns.
She said the police called Tshepiso first and slapped him across the face before asking him any question.
"I'm sure they were trying to scare him so that he could say things they wanted him to say," said Mohlala.
Tshepiso, who is still using crutches after his father's killers shot him in the leg, said he fell down after a policeman had slapped him.
"I was very frightened. I did not understand why the police were assaulting me," said Tshepiso.
He said they put a plastic bag over his head that caused him to suffocate, and used an electric belt to shock him.
Mohlala showed Sowetan marks around her wrists that she claimed were caused by handcuffs .
She also had a swollen neck, claiming the police tried to kill her by strangling her and accused her of paying hitmen to assassinate her husband.
Superintendent Sibongile Nkosi confirmed that police had questioned the family but denied knowledge of the alleged torture.