An Amnesty International report said torture and ill-treatment...

An Amnesty International report said torture and ill-treatment are the most frequently reported human-rights violations committed by police in Southern Africa.The Policing to Protect Human Rights report found the South African Police Service (SAPS) was often cited for bribery and corruption. It also found a high level of illiteracy in the SAPS.The report says several hundred deaths occur in police custody or "as a result of police action" in South Africa each year. It found that investigations by the Independent Complaints Directorate show the majority of these deaths have resulted from the use of force or torture by police, mostly at the time of arrest. Some of the incidents have involved summary executions of criminal suspects."In South Africa, Zakhele Mabhida was fatally shot by police on 23 April 2001 in the offices of the Durban Murder and Robbery Unit. Several hours earlier, he had handed himself over, unarmed, to the police in connection with an investigation into the killing of two police officers. Forensic medical evidence indicated that he had multiple gunshot injuries and had been shot at close range in the chest," the report said.