Daily Sun (February 6 2014) - POLICE came to the rescue of Vuyani Kose after angry residents beat him up and set him on fire. The cops pulled the severely assaulted man away from the flames onto the grass. THEN THEY TOOK PICTURES AS HE LAY DYING!

SunReporter Sandiso Phaliso was on the scene in Phillipi, Cape Town, on Tuesday and snapped the cops using their cellphones.

He heard them saying they wanted to post their pictures on Facebook!

The police tried to make Sandiso delete his pictures and tried to take away his camera. They grabbed his notebook and told him he would be arrested for the attempted murder of the victim.

Sandiso refused their requests and was eventually released.

Kose (30) was taken to hospital and later died.

The drama unfolded when a group of residents grabbed Kose and accused him of breaking into houses and stealing appliances.

Ignoring his pleas for mercy, the group beat him senseless and then piled grass, papers and a tyre on top of him and set them alight.

SunMan Sandiso takes up the story:

"When the police arrived the crowd ran away. I stayed and went on taking pictures.

"When the cops saw me they pointed guns at me and shouted that I was beating the victim.

"While some of them questioned me, I saw two cops taking pictures of Kose, who was lying on the ground and was still alive.

"They were laughing and giggling at him. I could hear them saying they would post the pictures they took on the social network Facebook.

"The dying man asked for water and I told him he should wait for the paramedics to arrive.

"One policeman then shouted at him ‘stay down there until the ambulance arrives, you piece of shit. You steal people's clothing and you want mercy'."

The ambulance took 30 minutes to arrive, Sandiso said.

He was then taken to the back of the police van and told that he was being arrested for attempted murder.

"I was taken to Nyanga Police Station. At the charge office, I was asked to produce the photos and say who the perpetrators were.

"I refused to give them my camera and I couldn't tell them who the attackers were," said Sandiso.

"Two hours later I was released."

) Police spokesman Colonel Andre Traut confirmed that cops had gone to the scene and saved Kose from burning in the fire.

"It is suspected that he was assaulted by community members of Brown's Farm. He later died of his injuries.

"No one has been arrested."

When Daily Sun put SunMan Sandiso's allegations to him, Traut replied: "These allegations are regarded as very serious and the station commander of Nyanga Police Station has been informed so they can be investigated."

He added: "Posting a photograph of a victim of crime on a social network by members of SAPS is strictly prohibited.

"The allegation that the members concerned did indeed post the images on a social network has yet to be substantiated."

) The Khayelitsha Commission of Inquiry is currently hearing evidence of the breakdown of relations between the police and communities in the area.

See the Daily Sun mobi site for more on this and other stories....

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