Daveyton cops’ bail bid postponed

SAPA

Daveyton residents demonstrate outside the Benoni Magistrate's Court on Monday, 11 March 2013 where nine policemen accused of the death of Daveyton taxi driver Mido Macia were appearing for their bail application. Macia was allegedly tied to the back of a police van and dragged along a street in Daveyton on February 26. He was found dead in the police station's holding cells several hours later. Picture: Werner Beukes/SAPA

Benoni - The bail application of nine police officers charged with killing Daveyton taxi driver Mido Macia was postponed by the Benoni Magistrate's Court on Monday.

Magistrate Sam Makamu said proceedings would resume at 8.30am on Tuesday.

Earlier, the court heard Macia was in an accident several days before his death.

“A few days before his death he was involved in a car accident with schoolchildren,” lawyer for the officers, Lokhimbar Dikatope, said.

“Five of them died as a result. A case of culpable homicide was opened against him.”

Elias Tshole, also for the defence, criticised affidavits submitted by prosecutor December Mthimunye from a taxi association and a Daveyton resident.

“The court is not here to satisfy the public's opinion. Instead it is (here) to serve the public interest,” he said.

It was mentioned in the State's affidavit by the investigating officer that one of the officers, Thamsanqa Ncema, 35, had a pending case.

“We do not have any pending case. It was dealt with internally,” Tshole said.

The State mentioned that Linda Sololo, 56, also had a case pending.

Sololo mentioned the case in his affidavit on Friday. He was charged with defeating the ends of justice and was out on bail.

The nine accused are: Ncema, Sololo, Meshack Malele, 45, Motome Walter Ramatlou, 37, Percy Mnisi, 26, Bongumusa Mdluli, 25, Sipho Ngobeni, 30, Lungisa Ewababa, 31, and Bongani Kolisi, 27.

Mthimunye told the court earlier that an autopsy found Macia had suffered extensive internal and external injuries and had died from hypoxia.

“Hypoxia, I did Google it... it's a deprivation of oxygen,” he said.

The autopsy found there were lacerations at the back of Macia's head, on his scalp and jaw, and he had abrasions on his lips, forehead, cheeks, nose, legs, arms, and back.

He also had extensive haemorrhaging in his right lung and in the tissue surrounding his heart.

“There were also bruises on the deceased's genitals.”

Macia was tied to the back of a police van and dragged along a street in Daveyton on February 26. An eyewitness filmed it. He was found dead in the Daveyton police station's holding cells, in a pool of blood and without any pants, several hours later. - Sapa