Four South African police officers have been arrested on murder charges after a video emerged allegedly showing them shooting dead a suspected robber.
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The footage released over the weekend by The Sunday Times newspaper shows a uniformed member of the South African Police Service (SAPS) shoot the unidentified man in the head at point blank range after he had been shot in the shoulder and chest.
The footage has sent shockwaves through South Africa, with many arguing that the suspect no longer posed a threat to police and deadly force should not have been used.
The institute’s Johan Burger says the shooting in Krugersdorp is very different to a situation where officers make a split second decision.
Langa said the officers would remained in custody overnight despite the officers’ pleas for the process be expedited, and appear before a magistrates court on Tuesday.
He was running away and collapsed after being shot in the arm.
The video shows Mpanza lying on a pavement, with his gun beside him, as a policeman takes aim and shoots him with a pistol. Another officer then comes up to Mpanza and starts kicking him.
The African News Agency quoted police Lt Gen Lesetja Mothiba as saying any police officers who acted unlawfully will be prosecuted.
The BBC reported in August that eight policemen were convicted on murder following the death of a Mozambican taxi driver who was tied and dragged behind a police van in 2013.
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“The footage again highlights the explosive relationship between cops and criminals in South Africa, where police are repeatedly accused of acting outside the law”, says the Sunday Times.
