BY Rahima Essop 

The state’s first witness in the Andries Tatane murder trial has again come under fire from the defence during cross examination.

Seven policemen are standing trial for assaulting and killing Tatane during a service delivery protest in Ficksburg, Free State in 2011.

Four days were set down for the trial this week.

Lawyer Johan Nel has been digging for inconsistency in Phillip Selokoe’s testimony since Monday afternoon.

Selokoe said he saw Tatane being beaten with batons after he tried to protect elderly people from being drenched by the water cannon.

He also described how an initially peaceful march degenerated into a riot after two objects were flung towards the agitated crowd.

But it is the finer details of his testimony that Nel is interested in.

So when Selokoe failed to answer some of his questions, and seemingly contradicted himself, Nel called him an untruthful and unreliable witness.  

Earlier this week, one officer was acquitted of the crime.

Tatane’s death shocked the whole country and police brutality came under the spotlight.

The newly established police directorate has promised to thoroughly investigate all cases against police.

(Edited by Lindiwe Mlandu)