Pregnant Khayelitsha Tavern Owner Allegedly Tortured To Death During Police Drug Raid

A Khayelitsha woman who was expecting her second child allegedly died after being tortured by police officers during a drug raid at her tavern in the Level 2 informal settlement.

Nonkululo Fente, 39, who was four months pregnant at the time, allegedly died during an interrogation by officers attached to the Lingelethu West Police Station on the evening of Thursday, 7 May, at around 8pm.

A family member said that Fente’s mother was informed of her death during the early hours of Friday morning.

Family Alleges Pregnant Khayelitsha Woman Was Tortured During Raid

According to the relative, nine police officers, including two women, arrived at the tavern claiming they were searching for drugs.

The family member said: “This was a traumatising incident for the family as Nonkululo’s brother passed away last year and her father passed away the year before.

“What we were told is that there were nine police members, including two females, saying they were looking for drugs and they found six straws. We don’t know what was in those straws.

“Then Nonkululo told the police that that was all she had and they thought there were more drugs. Instead of taking her to the station, they started to torture her and I think because she was pregnant, that made her give up more easily.”

Witnesses further alleged that Fente was assaulted with a plastic bag placed over her head and was pepper-sprayed during the incident.

The family member added: “She did tell them, ‘You are killing me’, but no one was listening. And when she was unconscious, one of the police guys took a beer and poured it on her face to see if she would wake up.”

Ipid Investigating Death Of Nonkululo Fente

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) confirmed that it is investigating the matter.

Ipid spokesperson Phaladi Shuping said: “This matter was reported to Ipid for investigation, and the investigations were finalised. We are waiting for technical reports.”

ACC Calls For Justice After Khayelitsha Woman’s Death

Alliance of Citizens for Change (ACC) president Masizole Mnqasela criticised the alleged conduct of the police, saying poor communities are often treated differently during policing operations.

Mnqasela said: “The police assault people using old policing tactics, under the assumption that the working class and the poor are less likely to have resources to pursue the state legally, pursuant to SAPS’ illicit activities.

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“ACC knows well that if this were a rich suspect, they would have firstly obtained a search warrant and secondly they would have handled the suspect with respect and handed them over to the court for prosecution.

“The crime of Nonkululo is that she was poor, and a woman.”

He added that the party plans to march to the police station on Wednesday at 2pm to demand justice for Fente.

Mnqasela said: “ACC believes that this is barbaric and extremely atrocious that they used them in the first place, especially to a female accused, and killing her and her unborn child is worse than apartheid.

“On Wednesday, we will be calling on them to be immediately placed on suspension and that they must face the full might of the law and be criminally charged.”