A woman says she was allegedly assaulted by police officers in her grandmother’s home on 1 November. Thato Mkhabela (23) from extension 7 in Phomolong was asleep at her grandmother’s house when a noise outside woke her at about midnight.
“When I went outside to see where all the noise was coming from, I was greeted by a lot of police officers asking me to open the locked gate,” Mkhabela explained. She said the police told her someone had tipped them off that she had a gun.
“When they got into the house they searched everywhere for the gun. Among the places they searched was in a bag where I keep my child’s toys. In the bag were all sorts of toys including a toy gun,” she said.
Mkhabela says the police allegedly started hitting her for lying about the gun. “They squirted pepper spray in a plastic bag and put it over my head,” she said. During the assault she said other officers went to a shack outside where her uncle sleeps.
“They broke down the door and started searching in there as well,” Mkhabela said. In her uncle’s shack they found dagga stored in a plastic money bag.” Mkhabela said she told the police the drugs did not belong to her, but they allegedly continued with the assault and told her to stop lying.
Mkhabela said she was not arrested, but a case was opened against her. “On Monday I was due to appear in court, but I was turned away. I don’t know why.”
Captain Thomas Mufamadi of Atteridgeville police station said he was unaware of the alleged assault but confirmed that Mkhabela was charged. “The case did appear in court on 3 November and investigations continue,” Mufamadi said.
Mufamadi said people who had similar experiences should lay a complaint against police officers who acted in such a manner. “No one is above the law, not even the police. If you are assaulted by a police officer you should open a case against the said officer and the police will be investigated.”
The date for Mkhabela’s next court appearance could not be confirmed.
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