South African police officers arrested over the death of a foreigner

A small crowd gathered outside Daveyton police and hurled insults at passing police cars. Eight South African police officers have been arrested over the death of a Mozambican man who was apparently dragged behind a police vehicle.

Mido Macia, 27, a taxi driver and Mozambican national, was tied to the back of a police van and dragged along a street in Daveyton, on the southern outskirts of Johannesburg, on Tuesday. The taxi driver died of head injuries and internal bleeding after his arrest in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg, an initial post-mortem found. He was reportedly detained for parking his vehicle in a way that blocked traffic.

An investigation was launched after video footage emerged showing the man hauled through the streets with his hands cuffed to a police van. Police Commissioner Riah Phiyega thanked people for revealing "callous and unacceptable behaviour".

It has also raised fresh concerns over the treatment of foreign nationals in the country. Dozens of foreigners fled attacks in 2008-09 in an outbreak of violent xenophobia.

Cameron Jacobs, the South Africa director of Human Rights Watch, said: "This is not the first time that we've seen acts of brutality or excessive force. It's also deeply concerning that this incident involved a foreign national. This may have played a part as, after all, this is something we have seen before in this country. Clearly, if you are 'different' you are more likely to be stopped by the police."

President Jacob Zuma called the incident "horrific" and "unacceptable".

The police service said it would give its full support to the IPID as it looked into Macia's death. "We fully support the principle of police being policed and we shall be transparent about the outcome of the investigation," it said.

Justin Ndlovu, chair of the Benoni Taxi Association, told the BBC he had known Macia and last saw him last week. "He was a very humble guy; he leaves behind one child in South Africa," he said. "His brother died last year and he had become the guardian of his brother's wife and three children [also living in South Africa]."