According to a family spokesman, Mpofu, a Zimbabwean man originally from Nkayi, is the latest victim of police brutality, after 15 members of the South African police stormed his house on Wednesday.
The police were allegedly looking for Bongani Moyo, a Zimbabwean fugitive who recently broke out of jail for the second time, but Mpofu was caught up in the violence.
“This is very terrible and we are at pains to come to terms with the whole incident,” said Nkululeko Mpofu, the deceased’s elder brother during an interview with The Zimbabwean. “What is even more painful is that people are no longer safe in their own homes, which are supposed to be the safest place for anyone. Making matters worse is that the police, who are supposed to protect us, are the ones who have turned against us.”
According to the elder Mpofu, about 15 police officers stormed a 13th floor flat in Berea, while the now-deceased was sleeping with his wife and son in the bedroom.
The officers asked Mpofu if he knew Moyo, and he said he did not.
“The police officers stayed in the house for about two hours. Mthungameli was lying on the floor with froth coming from his mouth. The police officers returned a few minutes later with their colleagues from Hillbrow police station and paramedics, who broke the news that my brother had died,” added the older Mpofu.
“My brother was employed at an events management company and was not a criminal, but even assuming that he was or that he was the Bongani they were looking for, police had no right to kill him,” he added.
Hillbrow police confirmed to The Zimbabwean that they would open an inquest docket for the incident.
“If the post-mortem results indicate that the deceased was killed, we will open a murder docket and charge the officers involved,” said a police officer at the station.
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