Growing concern over police brutality

Eight disgraced former South African police officers were last week found guilty in the Gauteng High Court (Pretoria) of the horrific 2013 murder of Mozambican taxi driver Mido Macia. Legalbrief reports that the trial highlighted growing concerns over police brutality as well as xenophobia in a country that is picking up the pieces following a recent wave of attacks on foreigners. And the South African Human Rights Commission said the incident damaged relations between Mozambique and South Africa. ‘This case caused irreparable harm to the family of Mr Macia. It has affected our international relations with Mozambique and it cast a long shadow over the honest attempts by the SA Police Service to rid the service of rogue cops,’ the SAHRC said in a statement. A report on the IoL site notes that Macia was involved in a traffic altercation with the police who arrested him and tried to place him in the back of a police van. The incident, which was filmed on a cellphone and widely distributed via social media, made international headlines and sparked several protests against police brutality. The Citizen reports that the government has finally had a change of heart and has now offered to compensate Macia’s family. Lawyer José Nascimento, who had a watching brief from Macia’s family and the Mozambican Government, welcomed the conviction of the policemen. The report notes Nascimento said where the government initially disputed every single aspect of the family’s R6.5m summons, they have since had a change of heart and now wanted to settle the claim. Nascimento said the State Attorney had approached him and asked for an actuarial report for the damages they were claiming, according to the report.