PEED AND POOPED
They were caught with stolen property We peed and pooped in our pants I lost my tooth and had to be hospitalised
Six men who were detained by Ramatlabama police last week on suspicion of house breaking have accused Criminal Investigations Department (CID) officers of violating their human rights by brutally torturing and assaulting them during investigations.
The house breaking incident happened about two weeks ago on September 28. The three men aged 27, 36 and 42 years old were arrested at a stop and search operation roadblock conducted by Ramatlabama Police.
“We arrested these men and found a television set which was stolen during a house breakin at Papatlo Primary School teachers’ quarters before the Independence holidays,” said Ramatlabama Police Station Commander, Superintendent Zibani Mbisana.
Mbisana added that investigations are ongoing and that the matter has been referred to the Criminal Investigations Department. Speaking to The Midweek
Sun, detainees revealed that they were brutally assaulted by about seven officers. They pinpointed three CID officers - Oaitse Difatlhi, Matshelo Maifala and Onkabile Katlego – for allegedly leading the attack.
The traumatised Gaolatlhe Lesemela who lost his front tooth during the torture told this publication how it all started.
He said that one Sodoba Thabang, who is his neighbour in Old Naledi, asked for help to be transported to his home village in Pitsane to attend to a family matter.
Lesemela became a Good Samaritan and did not ask any further questions as he believed
Thabang is an elder to him.
“I know this Thabang because I have a good working relationship with his brother. He is also my neighbour. When the police detained us, Thabang told them that he never told me that he is going to collect goods.
“But they refused to listen to him, instead they said he is lying and they took us to a holding cell in Lobatse on Saturday night until Monday morning,” Lesemela said.
He said the officers took him and five other suspects to Ramatlabama police station and closed them in a small room. He said upon entering the room they were ordered to remove their clothes and remain stark naked without even an underwear.
“There were four men and two ladies in the room. They hurled insults at us. They gave us jumpsuits and covered our eyes with black plastic bags. One lady said we would not be released from the torture until we had urinated and defecated.
“Indeed it happened. We all passed faeces because we couldn’t breathe inside those suits, it was a near death experience,” he said.
However the officers denied these reports.
When probed by family members, officer Difatlhi said it was unlawful for officers to assault suspects. He explained that they handled the suspects without breaking the law and even took them to the clinic as they were sick.
“It is unlawful for us to assault suspects and there is no how we could do that, “said Difatlhi.
Speaking to his family members at Ramatlabama Police Station Lesemela wept as he narrated his torture ordeal in the presence of Difatlhi.
“This man brutally beat me, choked me and undressed me. He has seriously injured me, he broke my tooth and I long told him on Monday to take me to the hospital because I have an excruciating headache, he refused until today and now he took my tablets and my medical records,” he fumed.
Difatlhi admitted to collecting the suspects’ medical cards but now says he does not know where he kept them. When the suspects pleaded with him to give them their cards he told them they can return to the clinic to do new medical examinations.
Lesemela has reported his complaint to Ramatlabama Police Station but they have not filed the complaint form as they explained that investigations are still ongoing.
As for Thabang, he told the police that he did not tell Lesemela that he is going to collect a television set at his house.
“I apologise to the family because I did not tell him the truth but I had no choice again because these officers put the words in my mouth while pressing my throat. I couldn’t breathe, and they were also slapping my face,” he said.
The three men were detained for five days but the goods were all recovered on Tuesday. On Thursday Difatlhi informed the families that the case could not be registered because the suspects’ statements have not yet been typed.
He promised to inform the suspects after registering the complaint.
Botswana Police Service spokesperson Dipheko Motube could not respond to a questionnaire about the alleged police brutality. EFFECTS OF TORTURE Long-term physical effects of torture include scars, headaches, musculoskeletal pains, foot pains, hearing loss, dental pain, visual problems, abdominal pains, cardiovascular/respiratory problems, sexual difficulties, and neurological damage. Long-term psychological effects may also include difficulty concentrating, nightmares, insomnia, memory loss, fatigue, anxiety, depression and posttraumatic stress disorder. This is according to a United Nations report on the effects of torture.