Melusi Bafana (24) from Luveve, Bulawayo, Zimbabwe was killed on the
night of November 11, 2007 whilst coming from a party in Windsor Area
of Johannesburg.
Mbiko Moyo of Mthwaki Arts and Culture Advice Office, who is assisting
in the funeral arrangement of the deceased said a total of R9 000 was
required in order to repatriate the body from Johannesburg to
Bulawayo.
“So far we have only managed to raise R7 000, and we are still
appealing for the remaining R2 000 so that the body is repatriated to
Zimbabwe on Thursday.
“We have raised the matter of our brother’s death with the Independent
Directorate of Complaints (IDC) to investigate the circumstances
leading to the death of our brother. Lawyers for human rights also
assisting,” said Moyo.
Efforts to get comment from Hillbrow Police Station proved fruitless
as the officers, who received the phone call from CAJ News on Monday
complained that the news agency would write negative about SAPS’
behaviour on matters involving Zimbabwean asylum seekers and refugees.
The family spokesperson person for the Bafana Family, Themba Zikhali,
told CAJ News on Monday that they have taken up the matter with the
higher police authorities hoping justice will prevail.
“Prior to Melusi’s death, the police officers in question are said to
have pounced on him whilst coming from a party in the company of a
friend. The police allegedly used force to push him into the car,
kicked him using booted feet and clinched fists, and during the
process they crashed his head against the 4X4 van’s bar,” said
Zikhali.
He said witnesses were ready to testify in the courts of law over the
manner in which the deceased was brutalised and subsquently leading to
his death.
As that was not enough, three weeks ago, the South African Police
Service also severely beat a Zimbabwean in Hillbrow before dying in
the police cells.
Several Zimbabwean asylum seekers, escaping political persecution and
economic meltdown have fallen prey to the corrupt South African Police
Service personnel, whose majority always demand bribes from those that
with the rightful papers such as asylum seekers’ permits and refugee
status.
It is alleged that the SAPS officials, especially in Hillbrow and the
central business tear apart the permit papers if the asylum seekers
refuse to give them money for bribes.
The South African police were last week on the top of the world list
when it comes to corruption and extortion-CAJ News.
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