Peter Dickson
Five weeks after three Barkly East policemen allegedly dragged a teenage burglary suspect behind their van, causing him to die a brutal death under the wheels when he collapsed from exhaustion, the men are still free on the streets of the remote Eastern Cape town.
The policemen were suspended after the incident last month that led to the death of 16-year-old Siphiwe Zide, but have not been arrested and charged.
It has taken more than a month for the provincial arm of the state’s Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD), which investigates police brutality cases for the National Directorate of Public Prosecutions, to take statements from the men.
ICD provincial director Alfredeen Jenneker, who has a small King William’s Town-based staff to cope with this year’s increased workload involving deaths in police custody, said a murder docket and its recommendations were ready for submission this week to the directorate for a final decision.
Eastern Cape MEC for Safety and Transport Dennis Neer says it is “abnormal” that the men, two unidentified black constables and a white sergeant, have not been arrested.
The way he understands things, Neer says, is that investigations follow arrest and charging.
Barkly East police, who say a suspension to allow for investigation until charges are laid is the normal routine, have refused to comment on the matter until the ICD probe has been finalised.
Barkly East community advice officer Mbulelo Mafilika says angry locals believe the involvement of the white sergeant is the reason the three have not yet been arrested.
He says locals are “getting to the point where they will take the law into their own hands”. Mayor Zingile Nyembe says the community also believes the three could interfere with the investigation and that they “might also do other things”.
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