By Devin Hermanus
Springbok hooker Hanyani Shimange on Monday slammed the conduct of police towards him and his pregnant wife as "overly excessive" and "arrogant" after they pulled the couple's vehicle over in Rondebosch on Sunday.
Shimange's five-month-pregnant wife, Thateng, was allegedly assaulted by a police officer who also threatened to throw her into a police van.
She filed a complaint of assault on Sunday and visited a doctor on Monday for trauma counselling as well as bruising to her back and arm.
The couple were house-hunting with fellow Springbok Gcobani Bobo when several police vehicles signalled them to pull over in Milner Road for looking "suspicious".
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Claremont police spokesperson Angie Latchman said Shimange, in his black Golf GTI, and Bobo, in his white BMW 380i, were followed by a routine patrol from St David's Road in Lynfrae, Claremont.
Latchman said the Shimanges' car matched the description of those commonly used in armed robberies in the area.
Shimange said his wife asked the police why they had pulled them off the road.
"I got out and asked what the problem was, and the one officer asked me 'What are you doing?'
"I told him we were looking at houses - I even showed them our property newspaper clippings.
"He told me he had driven past us earlier and that we looked 'suspicious'."
The officer became quite aggressive after Thateng began questioning him, Shimange said.
He said the officer threatened to arrest his wife, grabbed her by the arm and pulled her towards the police van.
Several officers on the scene stopped him.
The couple eventually followed the officials to the Claremont police station, where they filed a formal complaint of assault against the officer.
devin.hermanus@inl.co.za
- This article was originally published on page 1 of Cape Times on November 25, 2008
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