Ipid investigates brutal police action during lockdown

IPID is investigating a death in police custody after a man was found hanged inside Bellville Police Station. Image via: Brenton Geach / Gallo

IPID investigates after man killed during violent clash with police

IPID is investigating the death of a man who was allegedly shot by a policemen during a protest about illegal electricity connections.

Ipid investigates brutal police action during lockdown

IPID is investigating a death in police custody after a man was found hanged inside Bellville Police Station. Image via: Brenton Geach / Gallo

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) is investigating the death of Doctor Setlai, who allegedly died after a Tswane metro police officer fired shots into a protesting crowd in Leeufontein on Tuesday.

IPID national spokesperson Ndileka Cola said it had been alleged that the Tshwane Municipal Police Directorate(TMPD) Cable Theft Unit had held  an operation with other stakeholders to disconnect illegally connected electricity cables in the community. 

“During that operation all the illegally connected cables were disconnected and the operation ended, the team left around midday. A few hours later TMPD operational commander for illegal cable connections received a call informing him that the community members are back at Baviian Road and they are reconnecting the earlier disconnected electricity cables,” Cola said.

Cola said the operational commander had then requested back up from the TMPD Crowd Management Unit, which had provided six police members in a Nyala, as well as additional metro police officers from the TMPD Region five who joined to assist the response team at the scene of the protest.

“It is further alleged that when the metro police officers arrived at Leeufontein, they found a group of people reconnecting the electricity cables that were disconnected few hours ago,” Cola said.

“When TMPD officers stopped the community members, it is alleged that they started to throw stones at the law enforcement officers and state vehicles, the TMPD Crowd Management Unit members then alighted from the Nyala and retaliated by shooting against the community members who were throwing stones at the law enforcement officers and the state vehicles,” Cola added.

Cola said that a man had allegedly been shot during the incident and he was later declared dead when the Gauteng Emergency Services arrived at the scene.

“A Post mortem has already been conducted and the directorate continues with its investigation process,” Cola said.