Man beaten, painted red

2005-03-13 15:06

M Taunyane and C Kgosana

Johannesburg - A young man accused of stealing a bottle of brandy was admitted to hospital after being beaten and red paint poured over his naked body.

Vusi Tosche, 21, said he went to Robby's Liquor Store in Hillbrow, Johanneburg on Saturday to compare prices as he wanted to buy some alcohol to take to a friend's birthday party.

Tosche said: "I was just holding a bottle of Klipdrift when a security guard approached me."

The security guard took Tosche to a storeroom at the back of the bottlestore and left him there while he went to call the owner.

"The owner came in with a bottle of cane spirit, which he forced me to drink. I was unable to drink it all, so they forced my mouth open and poured it down my throat."

Tosche said he was threatened with torture if he didn't finish the bottle.

"But I couldn't finish it. I drank half of it." He was then ordered to undress.

"The owner left the storeroom and came back with a five-litre can of wall paint. He told one of his employees to paint me," he said.

The employee poured the can of paint over Tosche.

"After painting me they beat me with a steel rod."

When City Press arrived at the police station - after the police had been called to a nearby restaurant where Tosche had fled - he was covered in a black plastic bag and his body showed evident signs of a beating.

Tosche said that after the beating he asked for his clothes but the owner chased him away.

In the charge office, Tosche told City Press: "As I ran away naked from the store, they followed and continued beating me."

The restaurant staff called the police and only when they arrived did the bottlestore owner bring his clothes.

Tosche was taken to the Hillbrow Hospital.

The bottlestore owner was arrested.

Hillbrow police spokesperson Constable Mduduzi Zondo said the bottlestore owner was charged with assault with intent to do grievous bodily harm and causing public indecency. He will appear in court on Monday.

- City Press