KAMAQHEKEZA – Brig Leonard Hlathi, spokesman for the police in Mpumalanga, said the matter was under investigation. “We have opened a reckless and negligent case against the police officer, which will be investigated. We have also taken a statement from the man who was allegedly hit by the police car.

“This will form part of the entire investigation and we will continue taking statements from those who are deemed fit witnesses in this matter. All aspects of the incident will be taken into consideration and all statements combined will be put in one docket and presented to the Public Prosecutor.”

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Many people witnessed the incident at KaMaqhekeza early on Friday August 16.

Mahlalela, a Block C resident, was chased by a police van and was then pinned to a wall as he tried to cut a corner into a yard behind a wall.

All of this was recorded by bystanders and soon went viral on social media. It clearly shows how Mahlalela’s leg is injured as he limped away and was then put in the back of the vehicle.

This all occurred while residents were protesting about the Siboshwa Tribal Authority’s delay in deciding to appoint the next khosi. They were demanding that Nicolas Ngomane be appointed.

Ngomane recently came of age, but his uncle, Michael Ngomane, who has been standing in as khosi since the death of his brother last year, is now reluctant to step down.

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According to protesters on the scene, Michael is apparently being accused of bad management of tribal affairs as well as selling land to foreigners without any accountability of the money. (See story elsewhere)
Meanwhile Mahlalela was rushed to hospital.

He told Corridor Gazette that the police accused him of drinking in public, though the bottle of beer he had in his possession was still unopened.

He said he was discharged from the hospital after an hour and taken back to the police station where he was charged for public drinking.

He said on Saturday, the investigation unit came to his house to take a statement and ask for his medical files. These were left at the hospital the previous day and are now nowhere to be found, he said.

Mahlalela on Friday also opened a case against the police, but no case number was supplied.

He said he went back on Monday and was told that the whole case was under investigation until further notice.