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Clayde Pasquallie (21) says he never expected to be assaulted and robbed when he began his journey home to Belhar on Friday; much less by Metrorail security guards.
It was meant to be a happy day in the Pasquallie household.
"I was in a hurry. It was my brother's matric ball on Friday," Pasquallie told News24.
The incident happened at roughly 16:00 at the Langa train station, when a man wearing a white T-shirt ran into the carriage Pasquallie was seated in. He was believed to be a thief and hid in the corner of the carriage.
Moments later, a group of security guards who had guns followed the man into the carriage.
Pasquallie believes the guards mistook him for the man in the white T-shirt.
"They probably thought I was the guy who ran in," he said.
The security officials began beating him.
"While they were beating me they were constantly asking where [are] the phones and stuff."
He said he protested his innocence but to no avail.
"I told them it's not me and the people in the carriage told them: 'It's not him. It's the wrong guy.' But they didn’t want to hear anything."
The guards took Pasquallie out onto the platform to handcuff him and, Pasquallie says, they proceeded to tramp on and kick him.
He says things got even worse at the holding cells, where he had been escorted to.
"I lost consciousness about three or four times," he told News24.
Pasquallie says the security officials took his watch, cigarettes, money and train ticket.
"They asked me where my friends were, who had the phones. 'Where are the phones?'"
They finally let him go 30 minutes to an hour later with R27.50 of his own money so he could travel home. Pasquallie said his watch and cigarettes were not returned.
He said he went straight home.
"I was in shock and I thought I was going to die somehow."
He never made it home in time to take photos with his brother.
Pasquallie had an assault case opened at the Langa police station on Saturday.
Western Cape police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Andrè Traut told News24 that the circumstances surrounding an assault case were being investigated.
"No one has been arrested as yet."
Pasquallie, who suffered injuries to his face and back, said he wanted justice to be done.
"I'm frustrated. I want those people to be imprisoned. I soiled myself and still they just constantly went on," he said.
Zinobulali Mihi, spokesperson at Metrorail, said the matter was brought to the attention of Metrorail Western Cape Head of Protection Services Ernest Hendricks.
"The matter will be investigated accordingly," she said.
Mihi said they would take the "necessary actions against the alleged perpetrators" once their investigators obtained a statement from the complainant.
