By Doreen Mokgolo
- Wife of murdered EMPD officer claims police tortured her for four hours to force a confession about her husband’s killing.
- The main accused abandoned bail and showed court injuries he claims were from police assault during his arrest.
The wife of a murdered EMPD officer told the Springs Magistrate’s Court on Thursday that police tortured her into making a confession.
Sibongile Dlamini, 42, said in an affidavit that officers stripped and humiliated her during a four-hour ordeal.
“I was ordered to take off my skirt and underwear and made to wear a nappy,” she said. “One officer sat on top of me, covered my head with an evidence bag in an attempt to suffocate me, and continued to slap me.”
She said police forced her to sign a confession and blocked her from seeing her lawyer on the day of her arrest.
The main accused in the case, Nhliziyozabantu Magwanyana, who is charged with shooting Constable Banele Skosana on 7 February outside his spaza shop in Kwa-Thema, abandoned his bail application.
Dlamini explained that she only knew Magwanyana as someone who was supposed to sell them a display fridge for their shop. She said there was a dispute over a R1,000 balance still owed.
“The fridge was supposed to be delivered on 7 February. On that day, he called me complaining about the CCTV cameras at the shop and asked that I switch them off. I didn’t, as they are controlled by my husband on his phone,” she said.
Her husband was killed that same day.
The court heard that Magwanyana allegedly confessed to police that Dlamini hired him to kill her husband. However, Magwanyana claimed police assaulted him for six hours during his arrest on 10 February at Kwa-Thema Hostel.
He showed the court visible bruises on his hands and said he was coughing blood from chest injuries. He also reported back injuries and numb fingers from tight handcuffs.
The case was postponed to 4 March for further investigation regarding Dlamini’s 15-year-old disabled child.
Two other suspects connected to the murder are still on the run.
Pictured above: Sibongile Dlamini.
Image source: Doreen Mokgolo
