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A man with a stroke was allegedly assaulted by the Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) members in Hammanskraal, north of Pretoria. The incident occurred when the police pulled over the man's nephew, who was seated at the back of the vehicle they were travelling in, demanding to see the driver's driving licence. The man's nephew claimed that the incident was intentional, but the municipality has since claimed it was a "freak accident" that occurred when a backup police vehicle was avoiding to ram onto a car in front of it when it arrived at the scene.
The man, from GaRankuwa, refused to be interviewed at the advice of his lawyers. However, his nephew told Sowetan that they had been traveling in their double cab bakkie when the police stopped them as their car did not have a disc. After producing relevant papers, they were allowed to proceed. Moments later, the same cops demanded to see the driver's driving licence and instructed him and his passengers to get out of the car.
Eyewitnesses disagreed with the municipality that the incident was not intentional. One witness saw the man's son (the driver) explaining to the police that his father was sick and needed to be assisted out of the car. However, the police did not believe that story and started insulting and assaulting the old man. They strangled him while pushing him out of the car. When he finally got out, he asked to make a phone call but was again assaulted and handcuffed.
Another eyewitness claimed that police officers were talking among themselves about telling their managers that the brakes of the backup vehicle had failed and the driver lost control. In his statement on Tuesday, TMPD spokesperson Isaac Mahamba said two of their officials were also injured in the incident. The injured man and two officers were taken to the hospital immediately, where they received treatment and were discharged on the same day.
The perpetrator was taken to Temba police station and detained along with the driver and another passenger of the vehicle in which he had been travelling. Charges against them include failing to comply with the instructions of a traffic officer, interfering with the duties of a traffic officer, crimen injuria, and resisting arrest.
