Family questions death in eMbalenhle police cells

The Mathenjwa family wants the truth about how their brother died in the police holding cells in eMbalenhle.

Mduduzi Mathenjwa (32), who was in custody in connection with a shoplifting charge in the eMba Mall, died in die cells on March 3.

According to a family member, Khanyisile Masthenjwa, the family was shocked when a police officer informed them about Mduduzi’s death in police custody.

She rushed to the police station to seek an explanation on how her brother died in the holding cells but claims the police’s explanation was unclear.

Mathenjwa said the last time they saw Mduduzi was on the afternoon of March 1. He told his relatives that he was going out as usual on Fridays.

“He never came home.”

Mathenjwa said they struggled to get Mduduzi’s bag that he was always carrying with his documents such as his ID.

“We had to demand it at the police station before the police gave it to us.”

Mathenjwa said the postmortem revealed Mduduzi was murdered, and the family wanted the eMbalenhle police to take responsibility for Mduduzi’s death.

“When family members went to wash Mduduzi’s body at the mortuary, they noticed bruises on his body and broken ribs.”

Mpumalanga police spokesperson Colonel Donald Mdhluli confirmed the death in the police station’s holding cells.

“The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is investigating. A case was opened against the inmates kept in the same cell as Mduduzi at the time of his death.”

Constable Busi Mthethwa, the eMbalenhle police spokesperson, said out of six inmates who were with Mduduzi, two of them were charged with his murder.

Mthethwa said after the investigation, four of the inmates were cleared. The two suspects will apply for bail in the Evander Magistrate’s Court on March 20.

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