Journalist to sue police for assault

The CCTV cameras surrounding the house of Pretoria journalist Frans Machate were allegedly tampered with and a hard drive with video footage is missing, he told Pretoria East Rekord.

Machate, a 38-year-old Equestria resident, was allegedly assaulted in the early hours of Wednesday by a group of about 15 South African Police Service and Tshwane metro police officers.

He claimed five cameras at his house were tampered with and tilted upwards during the alleged attack.

After the alleged assault, Machate was taken to the cells at Silverton police station.

“I noticed that the cameras were moved to face upwards when I returned home after being released from the police station later in the day.

“Earlier, I was busy with media interviews, but when I was speaking to the [Independent Police Investigative Directorate] investigators, I noticed the CCTV recorder hard drive was missing, with the recorder lid opened.

“What is this? Would you say these were genuine police officers? This is thuggery. Why did they take away the CCTV hard drive and tilt up all the cameras around the house if they had nothing to hide?”

Machate said his house was a mess “with a lot of things turned upside down”. His cars were also rummaged through.

“Unfortunately, one set of my house keys, which includes the remote controls to the complex gate and my garage doors, was taken, or is missing.

“Also, one of the cars I drove earlier in the day had a few bank notes in it. They are also missing.”

Machate said he was concerned that his family’s security has been compromised.

“We couldn’t sleep at our house on Wednesday night because we did not feel safe. We had to go to three different friends’ homes for shelter.”

He said his family could also not use any of their vehicles for safety reasons.

“We find this lawless and mafia-style action by the cops very traumatising.”

He has laid charges at Silverton police station and said a civil case against the state was imminent.

During the raid, police officers allegedly broke down doors, ransacked cupboards and assaulted Machate in front of his wife, Tintswalo, and three children in the early hours of Wednesday morning.

Machate said he was hit on the head with a torch and was kicked several times before being arrested and taken to Silverton police station in Pretoria, where he was charged with drunken driving, attempted reckless and negligent driving, and assault on a police officer. – Caxton News Service