Cape Town, South Africa - The brutal killing of a Mozambican taxi driver by South African police has sparked an outcry with Amnesty International (AI) calling for an end to police brutality in South Africa.
The Daily Sun newspaper on Thursday published shocking cellphone images of Mido Macia who was tied up and dragged behind a police vehicle on Tuesday.
He was later found dead in the holding cells of the Daveyton police station near Johannesburg.
A post mortem conducted on Wednesday indicated that the man died of head injuries and internal bleeding.
It appears the 27-year-old angered police officers by arguing with them and then resisting arrest.
National police commissioner, Riah Phiyega, has expressed concern about the tragedy, saying she viewed it in a serious light. The incident has been reported to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) for criminal investigation and the police will be required to co-operate with its investigation.
Amnesty International's Southern Africa director, Noel Kututwa, called on the South African government to make a public commitment to ensure that the police stop the use of excessive force.
A decade ago, a group of South African policemen made world headlines when they used police dogs to attack an unarmed and harmless Mozambican immigrant.
An amateur video of that incident, filmed by a colleague, was broadcast around the world and four policemen received heavy jail sentences for their role in the incident
Pana 28/02/2013