Man found dead after arrest: family demands answers from police

• A family in Philippi, Cape Town are demanding answers from police in Samora Machel after their 25-year-old son died hours after being arrested.
• Mvelisi Gwanxu told GroundUp that on 15 July police arrested his son Yanga at their request after a fight.
• He said the officers told them that Yanga would return “a more respectful person”.
• The family thought he was in police cells, but two hours later, a friend found him lying on the pavement, drenched, with bruises on his body. He died that night.

A family in Philippi, Cape Town, are accusing three officers at the Samora Machel Police Station of torturing their 25-year-old son to death on 16 July 2024. The family have since opened up a case at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID).

Western Cape SAPS has confirmed that an inquisition docket on the incident was opened by the parents at Samora Machel SAPS and is under investigation.

Mvelisi Gwanxu told GroundUp that on 15 July at about 8pm, his son Yanga was drinking and playing loud music with a friend in the backroom of their home in Samora Machel township.

He said Yanga came into the house to get something and his mother reprimanded him. An argument followed, Gwanxu said he stepped in and there was a fight.

“My son went to the backroom flat and came back with empty bottles, and he started breaking our front windows. My wife and daughter ran out the kitchen door and went to the police station in Samora, where they requested police officers who were on night duty to come take my son,” said Gwanxu.

He said three police officers arrived within minutes to arrest Yanga. They promised to teach him a lesson and bring him back “hugging them” and be “a more respectful person”.

But two hours later, Yanga was found soaking wet lying on the pavement next to a spaza shop, a few metres from his home. “I was woken up by one of his friends telling me that he is bringing Yanga home. That came as a shock because I thought he was in police custody,” said Gwanxu.

“He was shivering and moaning like someone in pain. But I just thought he was cold. We put him in bed and removed the wet clothes. When we checked the next morning, Yanga was dead,” he said.

Gwanxu said Yanga’s body had bruises on his hands, ankles and chest. He said the family had reported what had happened to the police immediately and demanded answers.

“We thought they took my son to the cells at the police station. If they were going to let him go, why did the police not return him to our house? We want to know what happened,” he said.

Gwanxu said they still do not know which investigating officer has been assigned to his son’s case, or whether anyone had been assigned to the case at all.

On 17 July, Yanga’s father and sister, Thandokazi Zide went to Samora Police Station to open a case. Zide said the police officers on duty did not take the incident seriously. She said they were joking and laughing. “I felt like we were being
mocked, some of the officers kept saying “don’t entertain her” and some were giggling,” she said.

Bongani Maqungwana, a member of the Community Policing Forum (CPF) and the public relations officer of the CPF in Samora Machel, confirmed that they are aware of the incident. He said he was not aware of any other incidents of abuse by Samora police officers. However, the CPF believes that this incident will jeopardise the trust between the community and Samora police.

Police spokesperson, Joseph Swartbooi says the circumstances surrounding Yanga death are still under investigation. “SAPS members removed the victim from home the previous day when he became unruly. SAPS members could not detain the 25-year-old male as the complainant did not register a formal complaint.” He did not say whether the police officers had reported releasing Yanga.

He said Samora Machel police registered an inquest for further investigation.

Police are investigating the death of Yanga Mvelisi.

Published originally on GroundUp.