Eight South African police officers have been arrested after a global outcry over the death of a Mozambican taxi driver who was handcuffed to the back of a police van and dragged along a street.
Mido Macia (27) was tied to the back of a police van and dragged along a street in Daveyton, on the outskirts of Johannesburg, on Tuesday.
Footage of the incident was recorded by a bystander and broadcast on television and the internet. It has thrown an unwelcome spotlight on the South African police, who are accused of brutality and corruption. It has also raised concerns over the treatment of foreigners in the country.
It appears the row broke out after Mr Macia was accused of parking his taxi on the wrong side of the road. Police arrived and tried to bundle him into their van.
President Jacob Zuma has condemned the incident as “unacceptable”.
Yesterday a crowd gathered outside the station where Mr Macia died. Detainees there were quoted by the Daily Sun newspaper as saying the police had beaten him again in the cells. – (Guardian service)