SAHRC on Macia conviction: ‘What’s happening where there are no cameras?’

The case “caused irreparable harm” to the victim’s family‚ affected South Africa’s relations with Mozambique and “cast a long shadow over the honest attempts by the South African Police Service to rid the service of rogue cops”.

The South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) on Wednesday said it welcomed the conviction of the eight former police officers found guilty of murdering Mozambican national Mido Macia.

North Gauteng High Court Judge Bert Bam handed down the judgment in Pretoria on Tuesday in the murder case of 27-year-old Macia‚ who died in police custody in February 2013 after being dragged behind a police van in Daveyton while handcuffed.

He had been arrested for allegedly violating traffic laws.

He died without receiving medical attention three hours after being detained. A postmortem report revealed that he had been severely beaten and died from lack of oxygen.

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“While the SAHRC is highly appreciative of the clarity of the judgment particularly regarding the poor version on the part of the accused‚ the recent incident of police regarding the assault by Douglasdale police officials highlights the long-term nature of this scourge‚” said SAHRC spokesperson Isaac Mangena.

Mangena was referring to a video which has emerged purporting to show a Douglasdale police officer hitting and then choking a citizen they had pulled over.

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate is investigating the alleged police brutality.

“What is of concern is that the case of Macia as well as the Douglasdale one are highlighted by the use of photographic images. We have to ask what is happening where there are no cameras and no shining lights?” Mangena asked.

Footage of Macia being dragged behind a police vehicle went viral in 2013 after his arrest for obstructing traffic with his taxi was recorded on a cellphone.

“It is clear that our democratic policing suffers from the same notion of police forces worldwide‚ that power is fun and that human rights only enter that terrain with consistent persistence.”

Sentencing proceedings in the Macia case will start on September 22.

The defence wanted the eight officerss’ bail extended in the interim as they had never missed a single day in court‚ but the judge refused this request.