Two police officers from Ladysmith and the Minister of Police have been found liable for damages caused to a man the officers assaulted and bound to a washing line pole, before setting a fire around him. The Mercury reports Mthobisi Thungo sustained burns on his calves, the back of his right thigh and to his fingers.

KZN High Court (Pietermaritzburg) Judge Daya Pillay found in a reserved judgment that the police were liable for damages, for his unlawful arrest and detention and the assaults. The amount would be determined at a later stage. The police said the arrest had been staged because Thungo feared being attacked, having been suspected of being an informer. His being arrested would imply he was not. However, Pillay found that Thungo was not an informer. The judge also said his arrest was real and initiated only by the police. It was unjustified and unlawful and he was assaulted and burnt.

Full report in The Mercury (subscription needed)