THE Independent Complaints Directorate yesterday collected statements from witnesses to probe the death of a 19-year-old youth, allegedly at the hands of Mhala police.
The ICD's national spokesperson Moses Dlamini confirmed that the organisation had confiscated the docket related to the death of Thabo Silaule.
Silaule died on the floor near the police cells after three officers had dumped him and his accomplice, Promise Mathumbu, 18, shortly after they had been rescued from angry members of the Kumani community.
The two youths had allegedly broken into a local shop when a security guard spotted them and summoned help.
Members of the community, armed with objects including sjamboks and sticks, came out and assaulted the "thieves".
Three Mhala police officers arrived and took the youths in the back of a police van straight to their station, despite their injuries instead of taking them to hospital.
"Our investigators are out there collecting statements that will guide us as to who needs to be charged with what. The postmortem has already been conducted and will also form part of our investigations," Dlamini said yesterday.
It is not the first time that Mhala police station has been in the spotlight.
Its shenanigans started with the death of two senior cops on December 2 last year, who shot each other at work.
The station commissioner, Senior Superintendent Khazamula Baloyi, allegedly shot head of detectives Superintendent Boy Dlamini before turning the gun on himself following an argument.
Since then a number of misfortunes have followed. These include a Inspector Kringer Kubayi, allegedly shooting a 17-year-old pupil dead right inside his classroom on February 30.
Kubayi and other police officers had gone to Manukuse High School at MP Stream village to look for two young men who had apparently been seen with guns.
The police allegedly stormed the Grade 11 classroom where the young men were supposed to have been, but pupils panicked and started jumping out of the windows.
"Nobody could stand the sight of armed policemen storming the classroom during school hours," said one of the pupils, who was in the classroom at the time.
Kubayi allegedly opened fire, hitting the wall with a bullet that ricocheted and hit Sedi Khoza in the face, killing him instantly.
In another incident, a police van driven by an officer from the police station knocked a stationary minibus at the Kumani/Songeni/Thulamahashe junction, injuring two passengers a few months ago.
A traditional healer suggested that some cleansing, whether traditionally or in a Christian way, was necessary at the police station to prevent further bloodshed.
"Blood has spilled in that police station. Either the station needs a powerful prayer or some traditional cleansing because it is clear that it will continue being haunted by misfortunes," said Isaac Mkansi, a traditional healer from New Forest near Thulamahashe where the police station is situated.
POLICE PROBED on death
THE Independent Complaints Directorate yesterday collected statements from witnesses to probe the death of a 19-year-old youth, allegedly at the hands of Mhala police.
The ICD's national spokesperson Moses Dlamini confirmed that the organisation had confiscated the docket related to the death of Thabo Silaule.
Silaule died on the floor near the police cells after three officers had dumped him and his accomplice, Promise Mathumbu, 18, shortly after they had been rescued from angry members of the Kumani community.
The two youths had allegedly broken into a local shop when a security guard spotted them and summoned help.
Members of the community, armed with objects including sjamboks and sticks, came out and assaulted the "thieves".
Three Mhala police officers arrived and took the youths in the back of a police van straight to their station, despite their injuries instead of taking them to hospital.
"Our investigators are out there collecting statements that will guide us as to who needs to be charged with what. The postmortem has already been conducted and will also form part of our investigations," Dlamini said yesterday.
It is not the first time that Mhala police station has been in the spotlight.
Its shenanigans started with the death of two senior cops on December 2 last year, who shot each other at work.
The station commissioner, Senior Superintendent Khazamula Baloyi, allegedly shot head of detectives Superintendent Boy Dlamini before turning the gun on himself following an argument.
Since then a number of misfortunes have followed. These include a Inspector Kringer Kubayi, allegedly shooting a 17-year-old pupil dead right inside his classroom on February 30.
Kubayi and other police officers had gone to Manukuse High School at MP Stream village to look for two young men who had apparently been seen with guns.
The police allegedly stormed the Grade 11 classroom where the young men were supposed to have been, but pupils panicked and started jumping out of the windows.
"Nobody could stand the sight of armed policemen storming the classroom during school hours," said one of the pupils, who was in the classroom at the time.
Kubayi allegedly opened fire, hitting the wall with a bullet that ricocheted and hit Sedi Khoza in the face, killing him instantly.
In another incident, a police van driven by an officer from the police station knocked a stationary minibus at the Kumani/Songeni/Thulamahashe junction, injuring two passengers a few months ago.
A traditional healer suggested that some cleansing, whether traditionally or in a Christian way, was necessary at the police station to prevent further bloodshed.
"Blood has spilled in that police station. Either the station needs a powerful prayer or some traditional cleansing because it is clear that it will continue being haunted by misfortunes," said Isaac Mkansi, a traditional healer from New Forest near Thulamahashe where the police station is situated.
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