Man accused of Benoni girl’s murder: I was assaulted by police

The Pretoria High Court sitting in the Benoni Magistrate’s Court yesterday heard how Ntokozo Zikhali, the murder accused of Bokgabo Poo (4), was assaulted by police during his arrest in October last year.

The 30-year-old took to the stand as the third witness during the third day of the trial.

Before continuing with his evidence, Zikhali testified in a trial-within-a-trial to establish whether he was aware of his rights when arrested and the whether the police assaulted him.

Bokgabo’s mutilated body was found in a veld in Wattville after she went missing on October 10 while playing with a friend in Masoleng Park, Benoni.

CCTV footage of Bokgabo walking in the street with Zikhali made rounds on social media. Police then launched a manhunt for the man seen in the footage.

Arrest

Zikhali was spotted by a community member in Boksburg North on October 14, who swiftly alerted the police.

During the court proceedings, Zikhali pointed out that he sustained injuries to his neck, chest and right arm while detained at Boksburg North Police Station.

He said while they detained him at Actonville Police Station, he was further suffocated with a plastic bag, slapped and kicked.

“The cuffs on my ankle were hurting me because they were too tight. I was also tazed and had my private part squeezed. One officer punched me with his fist on my chest. The officers said they did that because they wanted me to talk and to point out where the child was.”

Zikhali revealed that he gave the police false addresses to evade torture and assault.

“I couldn’t contain the assault, so I gave the police officers four addresses, which were of my friends,” said Zikhali.

Before Zikhali took the witness stand, state prosecutor Eric Sihlangu and Zikhali’s attorney advocate Anneke Van Wyk cross-examined the investigation officer, Kaizer Mbele of the Benoni Family Violence, Child Protection and Sexual Offences Unit, and Colonel Eugene Scheepers of Brakpan SAPS.

Zikhali faces charges of kidnapping, rape, murder, defeating the ends of justice and violating a corpse.

The trial continues today.