Senseless assault in CBD

Father of four and respected businessman from Arla Park Nigel, Clayton Martins (36), succumbed to his injuries at the Benoni Police Station after allegedly being assaulted by a group of men claiming to be taxi drivers on June 14.

On the day of the incident, Clayton and his brother, Benito, had travelled to Boksburg to visit a car dealership.

“Just before 10:00, we stopped at my home in Benoni so that I could collect some personal items,” said Benito.

“We were about to drive back to Nigel when the mechanic working on one of Clayton’s vehicles phoned to request that he buy motor oil.

“We parked on Cranbourne Avenue to go to a spares shop on Bunyan Street. Suddenly, a man demanding Clayton’s car keys approached us.”

According to Benito, his brother refused to hand over the keys.

“Clayton became uneasy and ran from the car, telling people on the side of the road that the unidentified man was attempting to steal his car,” he said.

“That was when I noticed more men getting out of a minibus. They accused me of being Nigerian and a drug dealer and said they had received information that someone driving a white Audi was selling drugs in the area.

“They could not give me a registration number or even the model.”

Benito said the group insisted he got into the minibus so they could resolve the matter at the police station.

“Initially, I refused, but given the number of men surrounding me and how they spoke, I thought it best to co-operate,” he said.

Once inside the vehicle, Benito claimed they travelled toward Voortrekker Street, then double-backed onto Amphill Avenue, where he saw a group of men assaulting Clayton.

“They were hitting him with what looked like a sjambok and kicking him. When they led him to the minibus, I could see something was wrong,” he said.

“He kept saying he did not feel well and could not breathe.”

With the occupants still claiming they would resolve the matter at the police station, Benito said the vehicle drove toward the taxi rank at the Lakeside Mall, closely following Clayton’s Audi driven by one of the assailants.

“They took us to an abandoned building. At this point, Clayton could not stand,” he said.

“The men searched us, verified we were indeed South African nationals and then searched the car. They found nothing untoward, and just before noon, they forced us back into the minibus, taking us and Clayton’s vehicle to the police station. The entire altercation lasted over an hour.”

By this time, he claimed his brother was weak and pleading for help.

Driving into the yard at the police station, Benito said police officers met them and immediately jumped into action to assist Clayton.

“The officers shouted at the suspects, telling them they could not continue with this nonsense,” he said.

“Clayton died at the scene before medical personnel arrived. We did nothing wrong, yet based on unverified information, they killed my brother for driving a car which might have matched the description of the alleged drug dealers.”

Benito, a maths tutor in Nigel, said he only went to Benoni on weekends but is now considering moving back home out of fear of victimisation and intimidation.

“I am only here to be close to the police station should the investigating officer need me, but I do not feel safe. I will never feel safe here again,” he said.

Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Masondo confirmed that two suspects were arrested, followed by two more arrests on June 20.

The SAPS charged the four suspects with murder. By the time of publication, no comment was received from the Benoni Taxi Association (BTA).

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