Handcuffed to his co-accused, unable to move and in immense, a man begged for water, but his cries were allegedly ignored by the police. The man in his 30's had just been assaulted by a mob after being accused of housebreaking. He died at the police station.

IGNORED

According to eyewitnesses who were at the East London, Eastern Cape on Thursday 19January when the man was brought to the station, he and his co-accused were badly injured, but the police didn't seem to care. Two reliable sources told ZiMoja that the boy died after he severely beaten by community members. "The two men were beaten up by the mob and then dumped at the police station.  They were lying side by side, handcuffed together at the reception for hours," one source said adding that he begged for water and to be taken to the hospital, but no one bothered to help him until he succumbed to the injuries.

Another source within the station confirmed the incident too. "His lifeless body was lying by the reception and business went on as usual for hours as if nothing has happened. The man died still handcuffed to his accomplice. I was there and could not take pics as I had my own legal problems," the source said.

POLICEINVESTIGATING

Eastern Cape police spokesperson Brigadier Officer Thembinkosi Kinana confirmed the incident. "The SAPS confirms that an injured man in his 30's died in the premises of the East London police station on Thursday night in what is believed to have been a mob justice situation. "The deceased was brought by unidentified members of the community, who allegedly accused him and the other of housebreaking incident in Southernwood," Kinana said. He added that the circumstances surrounding the incident are under investigation. "A case of murder has been registered. No arrest made at this stage," he said.

NOT THE FIRS INCIDENT

This is not the first incident where a victim of crime died at the police station in the Eastern Cape. In September last year, a rape victim, 15-year-old Zinizole Vane  died at the Motherwell police station in Gqeberha after the clinic referred her to the police station before they could help her. The teenager had been raped by two men and left to die when a51-year-old woman found her. The woman and another person took her to Motherwell police station where an ambulance was called as she was having seizures. However, whilst waiting for the ambulance, the teenager suffered further alleged epileptic seizure and died before the ambulance arrived.