video transcript

Footage of police in South Africa dragging a man, cuffed to a police van, through the streets of Dayeton, east of Johannesburg last Tuesday has shaken the conscious of the troubled nation. The man, Mido Macia, a 27-year-old taxi driver from Mozambique, was later found dead in detention with signs of head injuries and internal bleeding. Barely 24 hours after video of the incident was viewed worldwide, the country's police commissioner suspended the officers involved. (SOUNDBITE) (English) SOUTH AFRICAN POLICE COMMISSIONER, RIAH PHIYEGA, SAYING: "From the video which has gone viral, it is obvious that the rights of Mido Macia were violated in the most extreme form. The behaviour displayed in the video when it is committed by police who are expected to serve and protect, is to be abhorred by right thinking people." Some members of the South African public are calling for tough action. (SOUNDBITE) ( English) LOCAL RESIDENT, GLEN MAHATLANE, SAYING: "I think there should be action taken to make sure that people are treated with dignity." More than 1,200 people every year die while in police custody in South Africa.