PICS: Man ‘beaten like fools’, allegedly by metro cops

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has launched an investigation after man accused the metro police of beating him “like fools” for asking for their cars back.

According to Ipid, the man’s car was allegedly impounded by the metro police and kept at Madiba street in Tshwane on Saturday.

“They went there to collect their cars and they were told the gate was locked and security refused them entry. One of the metro officers came out to talk to them. She went back into the office; all of a sudden, the metro police officers, about eight of them, came out of nowhere from the street,” said Ipid spokesperson Ndileka Cola.

“They were driving to the centre and immediately started sjambokking them, hitting them with their hands too. They all got injured and went to the hospital. This matter took place on 2 October; we as Ipid received it yesterday [Monday]. We received it via the minister’s office, who then gave it to the director of Ipid and it was allocated to the investigator. We’re going to meet with the victims tomorrow Thursday.”

Cola said Ipid had not yet identified the metro police officers.

“We managed to speak to their supervisor in that centre to check for us who was on duty on that day at that time and then we’ll meet them, all of them, at their place of work and we’ll have to take their statements, so the matter is under investigation.”

She said a case of assault GBH had been opened.

In the video shared by Ipid, the man only identified as Shibi accuses the metro cops of beating him for “no reason at all”.

He said he just wanted to collect his car that evening to avoid incurring more fines.

He said: “They can’t beat us, these people, they don’t have the right. What am I supposed to tell my child now with a blind eye? They undermine us, these people. We went to the offices to take back our car and found the gates locked. They told us to come back tomorrow. We never fought those people. I was beaten like a fool for no reason.”