Inquest opened after family accuse police of torturing son to death

Police are investigating the death of Yanga Mvelisi. (Photo: Supplied)

By Phumeza Halonisi

29 Jul 2024

The Western Cape SAPS have opened an inquest docket on 25-year-old Yanga Gwanxu, who died after the police removed him from his home.

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 a case at the Independent Police Investigative Directorate.

The Western Cape SAPS has confirmed that an inquest docket on the incident was opened by the parents at Samora Machel Police Station 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 back room 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.

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“My son went to the back-room 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.

Police are investigating the death of Yanga Mvelisi. (Photo: Supplied)

“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 did not know which investigating officer had been assigned to his son’s case, or whether anyone had been assigned to the case at all.

Joking and laughing

On 17 July, Yanga’s father and sister Thandokazi Zide went to Samora Machel 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 and the public relations officer of the forum 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 Machel police officers. However, the Community Policing Forum believed this incident would jeopardise the trust between the community and Samora Machel police.

Police spokesperson Joseph Swartbooi said the circumstances surrounding Yanga’s death were still under investigation.

“SAPS members removed the victim from his 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 that Samora Machel police had registered an inquest for further investigation. DM

First published by GroundUp.

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Joking and laughing