Media reports and cell phone footage apparently showing members of the South African Police Service tying a Mozambican man to the back of a police vehicle and dragging him down the road are "shocking", Amnesty International said today.

The man is reported to have died later in a police cell from head injuries.

"This appalling incident involving excessive force is the latest in an increasingly disturbing pattern of brutal police conduct in South Africa," said Noel Kututwa, Amnesty International's southern Africa director.

"The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) must be fully supported in conducting its investigation to ensure those responsible are brought to justice."

"Amnesty International urges the South African government to make a public commitment to ensure that the police stop the use of excessive force and deliberate targeted killings."

The Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) received 720 new cases for investigation of suspicious deaths in custody or in other policing contexts from April 2011 to March 2012.