Sydwell Manganyi (29), of Xawela Village outside Giyani, allegedly died mysteriously in the Giyani police station´s holding cells on June 26, a day after he was arrested for housebreaking.

Manganyi’s mother, Mrs Ndhaheni Tsarisa Manganyi (56), said her son was brutally killed. She said that she wanted the police to tell her the truth about what had happened to her son. She accused the police of knowing something about his death.

“The police told me that my son had fallen down while drinking water, but when I visited him in the mortuary, he had serious injuries to his head. Even the police who came to my house told me that he had died because of injuries to his head,” said Manganyi

The deceased’s wife, Gift Manganyi, said she would only get peace if the police would tell her a truth about her husband’s death. “I now worry about everything I do. I can’t live a normal life when I think about my future and the future of my children,” she said.

A police spokesman confirmed that Manganyi had died in the police holding cells shortly after he was arrested. “While we are investigating housebreaking against Manganyi, we are also investigating a murder case after he was found dead,” the spokesperson said.