The trial, which has already been marred by delays, was postponed last week due to ”mic issues” at the Edenburg Regional Court. This version of the events is according to one of the hitchhikers, Lerato ‘Edgar Mokotso, but it hasn’t been confirmed by the National Prosecuting Authority (NPA) as yet. 

The trial comes amidst investigations by Viewfinder that raised questions around police’s internal disciplinary proceedings.

READ: Tapes reveal secret workings of police disciplinary hearings for murder and brutality cases

Viewfinder says their investigation shows that police officers often emerge from internal disciplinary proceedings unpunished. In the case of the Free State hitchhikers matter, internal disciplinary proceedings exonerated the seven police officers accused of the assault, whereas the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) charged the officers, and they were promptly arrested. The case has been dragging along since 2019 with multiple police witnesses failing to appear before court, resulting in the additional arrests of the Trompsburg Police Station commander and a sergeant in 2020.

In October 2017, Mokotso and three other people were hitchhiking on the N1 outside Trompsburg, heading to Edenburg. They got a lift in a white Iveco panel van which was stopped by police shortly after they left the hiking spot. The group was fingered for a robbery at a local furniture store. They allege police assaulted them while they were in custody before releasing them for wrongful arrest the same day. 

Interestingly Mokotso and company have received compensation from the state in light of the incident to the tune of hundreds of thousands. This payout occurred in late 2020.

Viewfinder attributes the lack of accountability in police’s internal disciplinary hearings to a lack of external oversight with outcomes being reported to IPID without any explanation.

Earlier in the year, OFM News reported on a leaked video dating back to 2019, which shows a man, identified as Tshediso Paul Mohale, detained in a dog cage. Next to him was a barking dog from the K9 unit. 

READ: #Exclusive #BreakingNews: FS suspect detained in dog cage - VIDEO

The incident, which later trended across multiple media platforms, placed police brutality in the province under scrutiny. Mohale reportedly intended on suing the state as well.

OFM News