Members of the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) are investigating a murder case after officers stationed at Lingelethu-West Police Station allegedly tortured a 39-year-old woman to death during a drug raid at her tavern in the Level Two informal settlement in Khayelitsha on Thursday 30 April. It was also reported that Nonkululo Fente was four months pregnant.
Investigation into alleged police torture
IPID national spokesperson Phaladi Shuping confirmed the incident had been reported to Ipid for investigation. He said investigators were awaiting the technical report.
One of the deceased’s friends who was present during the incident, Mandla Bawuti, said all they want is justice for Fente.
He alleged the officers conducting the search were violent and said the incident occurred about 19:30.
“We were sitting in the tavern when the officers arrived. There were three of us there. They came in and demanded drugs. Fente told them there were no drugs in the shack. They searched us and took my phone and R50. They also searched Fente and took an undisclosed amount of money and her phone. The officers did not search the third person.” He added the officers then handcuffed them.
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Bawuti claimed the officers asked Fente to unlock her phone, which she did, allowing them to view chats and photos. He said she later admitted she was selling drugs but that they were not in the house.
“They took me into a room and tortured me. At that time Fente admitted she was selling drugs because the officers had seen some of the conversations on her phone. Even when she said she wanted to take them to the house where she got the drugs, the officers ignored her.”
The distraught Bawuti alleged that once inside the room the officers started slapping him and used a refuse bag sprayed with pepper spray to cover his face.
Efforts to resuscitate victim after she lost consciousness
“They did that to me three times. They covered my face with the refuse bag and removed it after a few minutes. I don’t know how many times they did it to her, but it was more than three times. When they saw she wasn’t conscious they took water from the fridge and poured it on her, but she did not move. Later, they opened beers and splashed them on my face and hers as well, trying to wake her.” The officers didn’t take the alcohol, he added.
Bawuti further alleged that after the officers realised Fente had died they dragged her to the police van while she was still handcuffed. He said they threw her into the back of the van and left her lying there.
Disputed police response and transport after incident
“There were four police vans from Lingelethu-West Police Station that came to raid the tavern. They took me to another van. Before they drove away with us they stood there discussing the situation. Some said they should first take Fente to Khayelitsha District Hospital, while others wanted to continue searching other areas.” He said he overheard the conversation while seated at the back of the police van, where he had also been placed.
He said they later drove off and stopped opposite Nomenti Gas Supplier in Phakamani Road, Khayelitsha, where the officers again discussed what to do next. Bawuti requested they accompany him to let Fente’s family know before taking him to the police station, but they refused.
“They took me to the police station and left me alone inside the van,” he said. “We arrived after 21:00 and I stayed there for almost two hours. They later took me to the charge office. An officer wrote a statement without asking me any questions and then asked me to sign it.” Bawuti said he was questioned only by IPID officers.
He said he was kept in the police holding cells from Thursday 30 April to Monday 4 May, when he appeared in the Khayelitsha Magistrates’ Court, which dismissed the drug-possession charge against him.
