A seasoned pulmonologist who has been working around the
clock to help combat Covid-19 has allegedly been throttled and assaulted by
Tshwane Metro Police Department (TMPD) officers.
Dr Emmanuel Taban and his wife, a physiotherapist, who both
work at Midstream Mediclinic hospital in Tshwane, have claimed that
unidentified officers harassed, assaulted and even throttled Taban until he
passed out on the R54 on Saturday afternoon.
He said that, while heading to work to urgently assist
Covid-19 patients, he was harassed by several officers who were unidentifiable.
Taban said his troubles began after he overtook a truck.
"There are two lanes. I was on the right and a truck
was on the left, and the road was coming to be one lane. I sped faster in my
BMW X5 ahead of the truck."
He said the officers then stopped him.
"I stopped and put my mask on and rolled my window
down. [The officer] first spoke to me in Tswana. I heard him asking for my
licence. I took it out and he kept talking in Tswana, so I asked if he can
speak English because I did not understand."
Taban said the officer then asked him to step out of his
car.
"I stepped out and showed him the licence. I told him
I am a doctor and wanted to keep some distance from him. Then he told me, you
are under arrest. I said for what? He said I went through a solid line and was
driving recklessly. I asked if there isn't a fine. He said no, I had to be
arrested."
Taban asked if his wife could leave, to which the officers
said yes.
"But then he said I must move and started pushing me.
My wife got out the car and asked why he was being so aggressive. She said I
hadn't done anything. She said they can give me a ticket or arrest me, but
there was no reason to push me."
Taban said the officer then allegedly began swearing at his
wife, calling her a "whore, saying she sleeps with foreigners". The
officer also allegedly asked Taban why he was behaving like a white person.
"My wife was so angry. I asked her to calm down because
through this whole thing, his hand was on his gun."
He said the officer began pushing him and his wife
"and it got a bit ugly".
"I told him this is not acceptable and then I took my
phone and began recording him. Then my wife started recording and it aggravated
him more."
The officers then instructed the couple to follow them to
Lyttelton police station, Taban said.
"I got in the car and moved a bit. My wife said I
should get a picture of the number plate because we don't know where they are
going to take us. So, I got out of the car and took a picture of the number
plate. Then they said no, you are under arrest."
He said that from that point, he was handcuffed.
"I didn't resist. Then he wanted the phone from my
wife. He wrestled my wife down to the ground and from there picked up her
phone. Then the other traffic guys got it and they wanted my wife to give them
the PIN code. They pushed my wife and were merciless and wanted her to give the
PIN. She did and they deleted all the photos."
Taban said that, after seeing his wife assaulted, he
realised he needed to preserve his own telephonic evidence of the number plate
and other videos. His wife managed to take his phone from his pocket.
"I saw that they had deleted her pictures, so I was
trying to get her to send what I had to any of my friends, so at least we still
had some evidence."
The officer then asked for his phone and grew frustrated
when he could not find it on Taban.
"I told him to check in my pocket, that it was not
there. I had given it to my wife who put it between her breasts."
He said his wife then handed over the phone.
"I had to then give them the PIN code, he went through
my phone and started deleting everything including the videos I had
taken."
Taban said he was taken to Lyttelton police station where
he was charged with driving through a solid line, reckless driving and
assaulting a police officer.
He said he was horrified at the incident and that TMPD
officers could be "so vile".
"I came to this country when I was 16. I am now 42,
with a family. I have South African citizenship and have been contributing to
helping South Africans. Is this what my children should expect? Is this how
they will be treated?"
TMPD spokesperson Isaac Mahamba on Saturday told News24 he
would investigate the matter, which was still unfolding when News24 contacted
him.
On Sunday, Mahamba said the TMPD was aware of the incident.
"The matter is receiving the necessary attention it
deserves internally and we are still to obtain official statements from the
members involved," Mahamba said.
"We also encourage the complainant to come forth to
officially open a case and statements will also be obtained and the matter will
be investigated properly."
Mahamba said the TMPD would report any alleged wrongdoing
by its members to the Independent Police Investigative Directorate. News 24
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