Morné van Gent, a deli supervisor at the new Roots Butchery Ermelo claims he was assaulted by members of a tactical response unit (TRU), the entourage of a politician who was in town for a court case, on the instruction of a female provincial traffic officer.

Eleanor Fourie, the floor manager at the other Roots Butchery, says she was informed the TRU was in town last Thursday during the trial of Louis Johannes Grobler, who is accused of attempted murder and assault following an incident on his farm in which he allegedly ran over two children and assaulted another.

She says that Van Gent’s lawyer, Hilmer Kruger, told them afterwards that the members was part of the entourage of Vusi Shongwe, the MEC of Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison.

Van Gent told the Highvelder that while his employees were cleaning the fat traps on the pavement behind the butchery, he noticed a contingent of police in the area and was concerned for his employees and his own safety because he wasn’t sure if there was a real and present danger in the area.

When he enquired about the situation from the TRU, a female traffic officer who was with them, allegedly replied in her native tongue that they were there for him because he had stolen cattle.

Her answer was translated to him by one of the employees.

Van Gent says he told her to “voertsek” saying he has never stolen cattle in his life, and he returned inside the butchery.

TRU members and a traffic official followed him through the backdoor and questioned him about his remark.

CCTV footage supplied by the butchery shows the moment the traffic official accompanied the TRU members in full tactical gear enter the butchery through the back door.

The female traffic officer is seen conversing with Van Gent as one of the officers sneaks up behind him, grabs him and drags him outside.

“I never resisted as is clear on the footage as well, I thought perhaps they would arrest me, but I felt confident that they couldn’t as I’ve never stolen cattle in my life.”

He claims that what happened next was a vicious attack in which four to five people began beating and kicking him while yelling that he needed to apologise to the traffic officer.

“They pepper-sprayed me and took turns to beat me up. I was unable to breathe and could only feel the blows and kicks landing. I started praying aloud and pleaded with God to step in because I thought they wouldn’t stop until I was dead. Then one of the men punched me with his fist again, and I begged them to stop and said I was sorry.”

After that the men stopped the alleged onslaught and told him he could go, but he couldn’t walk.

Then, according to him, they picked him up and flung him onto the sidewalk and left.

Highvelder reached out to the local police and municipality as well as Colonel Donald Mdluli, a provincial police spokesperson, Brigadier Selvy Mohlala, the Mpumalanga spokesperson, Lizzy Suping the spokesperson for the Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) and Moeti Mmusi the spokesperson for Mpumalanga Community Safety, Security and Liaison. Comment could not be obtained at the time of publishing.