Court fills up ahead of cop case
2013-03-04 10:17
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Eight policemen involved in the death of Mozambican taxi driver, Mido Macia, appeared in the Benoni Magistrate's Court. See all the pictures.
Johannesburg - The Benoni Magistrate's Court was packed to
capacity on Monday morning ahead of the appearance of eight policeman
implicated in the death of Daveyton minibus taxi driver Mido Macia.
The Mozambican's relatives, delegates from the local taxi
association, and family members of the accused filled the three benches inside
the court.
Two warrant officers and six constables have been charged
with murder following Macia's death in police custody.
They allegedly tied the 27-year-old to the back of a police
van and dragged him along a street in Daveyton last Tuesday. An eyewitness
filmed the assault.
Macia was found dead in the local police station's holding
cells several hours later. A post-mortem examination revealed that he died of
head and internal injuries.
Independent Police Investigative Directorate spokesperson
Moses Dlamini said police reported they had earlier found Macia wrongfully
parked on a road and ordered him to move.
"It is alleged that the taxi driver then assaulted the
constable and took his police firearm. The warrant officer overpowered the taxi
driver and handed the firearm back to his colleague," he said.
Dlamini said the officer then called for back-up.
They claimed to have put the "resisting suspect"
into the police van and took him to the cells.
The Congress of SA Trade Unions alleged that police had said
Macia died when other men attacked him in the cells.
- SAPA
