Taxi driver accuses police of brutality
Pini Bothoko | Friday May 28, 2021 19:44
The 39-year-old Kefs Tlhage accused the police of brutalising him.
Allegations that the police were beating up people during the festive season went viral across social media platforms in January resulting in human rights groups questioning whether Botswana was turning into a police state after attacks on public members.
The limping Tlhage visited Mmegi offices to share his plight following his deteriorating health as a result of an alleged beating by a group of security agents who later dragged him to Mogoditshane Police Station. Narrating his story, Tlhage said he was subjected to a severe beating in December after deciding to turn into Engen Filling Station to fuel up.
“It was around seven in the evening when I was on my way to Mmopane village where I was supposed to go and drop a customer who had just knocked off in Mogoditshane. I drove and parked opposite a bank ATM by Engen filling station to withdraw money to top up my fuel. Few steps towards the machine I felt a heavy blow on my head with someone attacking me from the back. I suddenly turned back but the assailant continued to punch me with fists. I thought the person who was assaulting me was a thief and I tried to fight back,” he said.
He said while locked in the fight, he was shocked to realise that a group of about six people were kicking and punching him without saying a word. Tlhage said he was nervous because at some point he thought the attackers would kill him as they continued the alleged assault on him as a group.
“Whilst lying on the floor helpless and powerless, they lifted me and threw me into the back of a bakkie and drove away with me [in it]. I was alone at the back of the car: nervous and wondering where those people were taking me only to see the car being driven into Mogoditshane Police Station,” Tlhage said.
He added the security agents who were not dressed in uniform took him inside an empty office and left him there. He said even though he was still in shock he did ask what he did wrong but they kept quiet and left him there.
“I was shocked and nervous at the same time wondering what I could have done wrong. I was hurt because they did not even give me time to talk to my customer who was inside the car (taxi) throughout witnessing the assault. At around 10pm a sergeant officer came, I tried to ask him what I might have done wrong and he replied saying they will only give me my car keys around 4am after curfew time. I tried to narrate my side of the story but he was not interested. He insisted that I disobeyed curfew time restrictions,” he said.
Then, Tlhage said he pleaded with the said officer to at least drop his customer because he had left her inside the car. He said he spent the whole night there and in the morning a police officer came and gave him his car keys telling him that he was “free to go home”.
“I tried to question the police officers who were on duty that morning why I was assaulted and taken into custody, they all feigned ignorance of what transpired the previous night. I asked for a medical form and went to see a doctor because I could not walk properly with pains all over my body.
Up to now, I still do not know the people who assaulted me and for what,” he said.
Tlhage said following his deteriorating health condition he went to report the matter to the police internal affairs office at the Central Business District (CBD) early this year. He said while waiting for the response from the police internal affairs office after they promised to follow the matter up he was shocked to receive a phone call from someone who identified himself as a police officer based in Mogoditshane Police Station in March instructing him to report to the police station.
“He told me that I have assaulted police in December and they have opened a case against me. I went to the police station and told them that the person who was assaulted that day was me and I needed answers. Since then Mogoditshane police have been playing delay tactics, but I am struggling. I sleep on one side [of my body], I cannot walk properly because my knee was injured during the assault. I need medical assistance and the police who assaulted me should account [for the assault],” he said.
At times Tlhage struggles to breathe when the pain on his ribcage reaches an all-time high. He said if he was fighting, as they claimed, he would have been handcuffed or a case would have been opened against him. “I am struggling. My health is deteriorating and police officers who assaulted me should account,” pleaded Tlhage. Quizzed on Tlhage’s complaints, Mogoditshane Police Station commander, superintendent Russ Letsebe said he was not aware of Tlhage’s case but could not dismiss the possibility of such an incident. He stated that during the festive season, police visibility on the ground was too much.
He said they had the support of the Special Support Group and the army. “I could not dismiss the possibility of such an incident happening. Then, some security agents would come from other police stations into our policing area and would arrest people and bring them here because they occurred in our jurisdiction and go back to their stations.
If there is any customer mistreated there are always senior officers on duty where one can report such issues. If there is such a case he can come forward to report. It could have been easier if that client knew the names of the officers who he claims assaulted him,” Letsebe said.