eMbalenhle community protest over alleged fatal assault by SAPS officers
Residents gathered at the local police station to demand answers after a man allegedly died following an assault by police officers, prompting a murder investigation by IPID.
Residents of eMbalenhle are lashing out at the local police for alleged brutality and misuse of power. This anger resulted from an uproar on October 2 when residents of Ward 20, known as the Mandela Section, were led by their councillor to the eMbalenhle Police Station.
The crowd demanded answers following the alleged assault and death of Mkhapheni Mbatha. Witnesses said they saw the police assaulting him before loading him into a minibus. A community member followed the vehicle to a clinic, where nurses reportedly questioned why officers had brought in a man who was already dead.
Community members were then informed, and some went to the clinic to verify the claims. Upon arrival, they were told that the police had found Mbatha sleeping on the roadside, a statement they dispute. Witnesses maintain that Mbatha was assaulted to death by the same officers who took him to the clinic.
One eyewitness told the Ridge Times that the police minibus arrived at Mbatha’s shack in the Marikana section of Ward 20. The officers questioned Mbatha about drugs and searched his home after he handed over the key. The witness alleged that the police then assaulted Mbatha, placing a plastic bag over his head while demanding information about drugs.
“When we tried to intervene, the police sprayed us with pepper spray and continued assaulting Mkhipheni until he lost consciousness. When he stopped moving, they kicked him, saying, ‘Don’t pretend you’re dead. Wake up and tell us where the drugs are’. When he didn’t respond, they took him to the minibus and sped off,” the community member said.
The community then stormed the police station, demanding the immediate arrest of the officers involved. Residents staged a sit-in at the station’s gate, which officers subsequently closed.
Tensions escalated when the crowd identified a female officer whom they said was part of the group assaulting Mbatha. The officer fled to the Community Service Centre for safety. Ace Vilakazi, the chairperson of the CPF, intervened to calm the situation.
The Public Order Police were called to the scene, and Colonel Khuselwa Matrose, the commander of eMbalenhle station, warned residents not to misbehave, stating they would regret their actions.
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Vilakazi condemned the SAPS’ actions, calling the situation “out of hand” and appealing for the provincial police commissioner to intervene.
“If someone is suspected of a crime, they should be arrested, detained and taken to court, not assaulted by officers,” he said.
Vilakazi added that two people had now been killed by officers in eMbalenhle, with one attempted murder occurring after a man waiting for transport to work was shot in Mandela Section.
The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) has opened a murder investigation. Lizzy Suping, IPID national spokesperson, said a post-mortem will be conducted today (October 7)and a way forward will be decided thereafter.
“Investigators could not interview any family member or witnesses due to the community protest. This makes it impossible for investigators to conduct their work,” said Suping.
