Judgment in Mido Macia case starts

At least ten broadcast cameras were in the courtroom. Several outside broadcast vans were stationed near the court entrance along Madiba Street. Numerous journalists were in the public gallery as Bam walked into the court promptly at 9am.

Eight former police officers are in the dock, facing murder charging for killing the Mozambican taxi driver on February 26, 2013.

Earlier this month, a ninth former police officer, initially charged with the group, was acquitted by the court.

Matome Ramatlou walked out of the court a free man after Judge Bert Bam told him that there was no evidence linking him to the murder.

A previous key State witness, police officer Mpumzi Ngamlana told the court that he had erred when he implicated Ramatlou - who was accused number nine.

The eight former Gauteng police officers - Bongamusa Mdluli, Meshack Malele, Thamsanqa Ngema, Percy Mnisi, Sipho Ngobeni, Lungisa Gwababa, Bongani Kolisi and Linda Sololo - sat attentively as Bam read out the evidence given during the trial.

They are all out on bail. The accused were all dismissed from the SA Police Service following a disciplinary hearing.

Macia was approached by members of the police on the afternoon of the incident in February 2013, after he illegally parked his taxi and caused a traffic jam.

An altercation between him and the police ensued and they tried to place him in the back of a police van. According to the accused, one of Macia's handcuffs became entangled to the leg of a bench in the back of the van when he fell out of the van.

They claimed he was dragged along the street of Daveyton to the local police station by mistake. However, the State claimed the accused were well aware of the fact he was being dragged behind the van.

Macia was later found dead in the Daveyton police station's holding cells.

The incident made international headlines and sparked several protests against police brutality. - ANA

(File photo: Gallo Images)