Man wins R574k after police assault him for ‘talking too much’
Apparently talking too much pays - just ask this guy.
South Africa never runs out of bizarre stories, and this one is straight out of the “you can’t make this up” files.
According to The Citizen, a 25-year-old man named Jan Moodi just walked away with over R574 000 in damages after being beaten up by a police officer in North West for the crime of “talking too much.”
Yep, the man wasn’t resisting arrest or evading the police. The only thing that got him assaulted was exercising his vocal cords.
Back in January 2022, Moodi was with friends in an unlicenced car driven by a buddy with no licence.
Cops pulled them over and escorted them to the station. That’s when things got weird.
A random officer, not even the ones who stopped them, allegedly decided that Moodi was running his mouth a little too freely.
Instead of handing him a stern warning or telling him to zip it, the officer allegedly throttled him, smacked him repeatedly on the side of his face, tore his white Nike T-shirt, stomped on his chest with boots, and dragged him like a nightclub bouncer ejecting someone who refused to leave.
All because (in the officer’s own words) “the plaintiff had been talking too much.”
The assault left Moodi with permanent hearing loss, PTSD, stress, insomnia, and flashbacks.
He also testified that he’s become short-tempered since the incident, which (honestly) is an understandable side effect of being turned into a human punching bag over small talk.
His father, who found him battered at the police station, demanded accountability. Instead, the officer doubled down and said his son simply needed to shut up.
Fast-forward to September 2025: Acting Judge S.W. Malane of the North West High Court ordered the Minister of Police to pay Moodi a whopping R574 385, broken down into:
- R80 000 for pain, suffering and trauma,
- R454 385 for future medical expenses.
That’s nearly half a million for talking too much.
As funny as it sounds on the surface, the story is actually a dark reminder of police abuse of power.
One moment you’re cracking a joke, the next you’re catching a boot to the chest.
At least this time, justice had the final word, and it turns out talking too much can pay off.
HOW TO LISTEN TO EAST COAST RADIO
1. Listen to East Coast Radio on the FM (frequency modulation) spectrum between 94 and 95 FM on your radio.
2. Listen live to ECR by clicking here or download the ECR App (iOS/Android).
3. Listen to East Coast Radio on the DStv audio bouquet
4. Switch to the audio bouquet on your OpenView decoder and browse to channel 606.
5. Listen to us on Amazon Alexa
Follow us on social media:
· TikTok