Taser attacker a former police patroller

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A man known only as Siphiwe attacks DA employee Thulie Mahlangu during the DAs march on Cosatu. Photo: Boxer Ngwenya

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Thulie Mahlangu was struck twice by a man known only as “Siphiwe” photographed attacking DA supporters.

“I am employed by the DA and I came from Pretoria to lead the marchers. Then a group of Cosatu members approached us from a side street and confronted us… The guy with the Taser first tried to push it into my face, but didn’t succeed. I turned around and he shoved it into my back causing me pain. But because I was leading the march, I could not think about the pain. All I could think of was keeping the marchers together – I could not run away. The cops saw what was going on and did nothing,” she said.

Mahlangu said it was sad because the march was for youth employment. “We had many people supporting us who are not DA members. It was all about jobs. I was not there for myself – I have a job – the march was for the benefit of those who don’t,” she said.

It was confirmed this morning by Yeoville SAPS that the man pictured using a Taser gun to attack a DA supporter was at one point a volunteer police patroller.

Constable Thabo Malatjie said the man, known to The Star only as “Siphiwe”, was a patroller for the Yeoville SAPS two years ago. However, Malatjie said the man was expelled from the unit after charges of corruption were laid against him.

Malatjie could not give the reason for the charges or whether the man was still under investigation.

He called on Mahlangu to lay a charge against the man at the Yeoville police station.

The Star