Mungo Soggot
The Pretoria High Court has slapped a temporary interdict on Klerksdorp police who allegedly beat and tortured a robbery suspect.
Eric Tshabalala, who has been awaiting trial since his arrest in January, says he was beaten and tortured with electric shocks.
His lawyers from the Wits University Law Clinic say he has visible injuries and has spent several days in a Klerksdorp hospital.
Peter Jordi, an attorney at the law clinic, is confident they will secure a permanent order against the Klerksdorp police when they go before the high court again in June.
The court issued the temporary order against the police last Friday, after the state attorney, who is representing Minister of Safety and Security Sydney Mufamadi, conceded it should be granted.
The Klerksdorp police are prohibited from “assaulting or threatening or in any way harming Eric Tshabalala and in particular … from torturing or threatening [him].”