Hout Bay protester died of blunt force trauma - IPID
11 July 2017
Cape Town - The man killed during last week's Hout Bay protests died of blunt force trauma, the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) confirmed on Tuesday.
IPID spokesperson Moses Dlamini said Songezo Ndude's death was being investigated by the police watchdog and that an inquest magistrate would be appointed to determine who was responsible for his death.
Ndude was injured on Monday morning last week and initially treated at Victoria Hospital in Wynberg.
He was transferred to Groote Schuur Hospital, where he died on Tuesday.
Ndude had been among those who protested for three days against the City of Cape Town’s failure to rebuild their homes within three months, following the devastating fires in March which ravaged 3 500 structures, affecting 15 000 people.
Affected locals were meant to be temporarily housed in 3x3m metal structures while the area was reblocked.
July is the fourth month that they have been living on the local sports field.
Calm was restored in the community by last Tuesday after Mayor Patricia De Lille visited the area to discuss the way forward with the residents.
Dlamini said, while blunt force trauma had been confirmed to be the cause of death, an inquest still had to be conducted to determine how the injury was sustained and who had caused it.
"'Blunt force trauma' doesn’t tell us where it came from, whether he was shot or hit with a brick or object," he explained.
"The matter will be presided over by an inquest magistrate and witnesses will be called so that it can be decided who should be held liable."
There were varying accounts of what had transpired on that day, Dlamini said.
"We will look at the different versions of what happened: who shot that day, police or the Metro police; if people were throwing stones… Only once that [investigation] process has been completed, will the magistrate make a decision and decide whether anyone should be charged."
