South African President Jacob Zuma is condemning the death of a cab driver, caught on cell phone video being handcuffed to the back of a police van by cops, and being dragged off camera.

Zuma condemned the death, describing the footage as “horrific” and “disturbing”, and appointed a judge to lead the investigation.

This happened in Daveyton, east of Johannesburg.  The cab driver is identified as 27-year-old Mido Macia from Mozambique.  He was accused of a parking violation.  The video shows him outnumbered and scuffling with police.  Cops claimed he tried to take one of their weapons, witnesses denied that and said the man was trying to reach his identification papers inside the cab.   As a crowd looks on and shouts its protests, the cops cuff Macia to the van and the driver takes off.  He was later taken into custody where he died.

The Mozambique government said it was “outraged by what happened”, and so are South Africans.  Opposition Democratic Alliance leader Dianne Kohler Barnard asked, “How much longer must South Africans live in fear of the very people who are supposed to protect them?”

Amnesty International says police brutality is on the rise in South Africa.  Last year, police were condemned for firing on and killing 34 striking miners.