SA memorial for Davetyon taxi driver
2013-03-06 12:25
Daveyton - Friends and family of a Mozambican man who died
in custody after being dragged behind a police van will hold a memorial service
for him on Wednesday.
Mourners are expected to gather at the sports stadium in
Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, where 27-year-old Mido Macia died on Tuesday
last week.
The Mozambican minibus taxi driver was filmed being
manhandled, handcuffed to the back of a police van and dragged hundreds of
metres to a local police station.
Just over two hours later he was found dead in his cell.
A post-mortem found he died from head injuries and internal
bleeding.
Shockwaves
Footage of the incident spread quickly online and sent
shockwaves throughout the country, shining a spotlight yet again on the conduct
of South Africa's much maligned police force.
The bail hearing for the eight police officers charged with
his murder will start on Friday.
Graca Machel, Nelson Mandela's wife and also widow of
Mozambique's liberation hero and first president Samora Machel, was expected at
Macia's memorial.
Mozambique's ambassador Fernando Fazenda will also attend.
South African authorities pledged to help repatriate Macia's
body to neighbouring Mozambique.
He will be buried outside the capital Maputo on Saturday,
according to Mozambican media.
- SAPA
