Nkabinde Commission hears testimony pointing to police brutality from Cato Manor cops

The Nkabinde Commission of Enquiry has heard testimony pointing to police brutality at the hands of Cato Manor officers.

The enquiry is probing Director of Public Prosecutions Andrew Chauke’s fitness to hold office following a slew of misconduct allegations.

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On Monday, a taxi owner from the KwaMaphumulo taxi association testified before the hearing.

He was part of a group nabbed by the unit in 2009.

He told the commission that the unit was a law unto itself and abused power while addressing taxi violence in KwaZulu-Natal’s north coast.

According to Siphamandla Mhlongo, who is the current chairperson of the KwaMaphumulo taxi association, he was abused by Cato Manor officers.

He told the commission that after his arrest, he was shown a picture of a taxi boss allegedly killed by police just three hours before Mhlongo was taken in.

He said this was done to threaten him to comply with their unlawful orders, including signing twisted statements.

Advocate Thembeka Ngcukaitobe led evidence, reading out previous statements.

“Item 15 is relevant in a way which is at 5a 47, where you in any manner assaulted or threatened by any person in order to influence you to point out the scenes and the answer here is no. What do you say to that?”

Mhlongo said he was forced to cooperate with the officers.

“The way I was, it was visible that I was beaten, so it shouldn’t be correct to say no; it should be saying yes here so that it was why I am saying it was filled, but I was made to sign at the bottom of every page.”

Mhlongo said he has marks on his body to prove the police brutality.

KZN South African Police Service (SAPS) said it will not respond to anything that comes out of commissions yet.