Man shot during protest dies

iol.co.za

October 6 2010

Joburg police are looking into the death of a man who was shot during a protest at the Lion Park Informal settlement.

One man died after being shot in a protest at the Lion Park informal settlement off Johannesburg’s Malibongwe Drive on Monday, police said on Tuesday.

“Apparently he was shot when the protesters were throwing stones at the police,” said Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini.

The man died in hospital afterwards.

Police were investigating whether the shot came from the crowd or from the officers on the scene, and whether it was live ammunition or one of the rubber bullets that were fired to control the protesters.

Meanwhile, 160 people were due to appear in the Randburg Magistrate’s Court on Tuesday to face charges of public violence and malicious damage to property, after a gathering to highlight service delivery problems at the settlement led to a metro police vehicle being torched.

Dlamini said police were monitoring the situation on Tuesday morning. – Sapa

Afrique du Sud-Heurts: Un manifestant tué

Europe1.fr

06 Octobre 2010

Un manifestant, atteint par balle lors d’une manifestation mardi dans un bidonville de Johannesburg pour demander de meilleurs services municipaux et marquée par des affrontements violents avec la police, est décédé à l’hôpital, a indiqué mercredi la police. La police avait ouvert le feu sur la foule mardi, blessant quatre personnes, dans le bidonville de Lion Park, dans le nord de Johannesburg. Selon le chef de la police Lungelo Dlamini, elle ripostait à des jets de pierres des manifestants qui avaient aussi mis le feu à un véhicule des forces de l’ordre.

South African protesters burn police vehicle

AP

5 10 2010

JOHANNESBURG — South African police say they fired rubber bullets to scatter protesters who torched a police vehicle outside an informal settlement in Johannesburg.

Police spokeswoman Edna Mamonyane said Tuesday that the continuing protests may have been over the government’s failure to provide some residents with basic services such as water and electricity. She says police have arrested about 15 protesters and have not reported any injuries.

Many South Africans live in poverty and President Jacob Zuma is under pressure to improve basic services to impoverished areas. Such protests are a common way for residents to express their discontent.

Protestors set police car alight in Jo’burg

eyewitnessnews.co.za

5 10 2010

Angry protestors have set fire to a metro police vehicle at the Lion Park informal settlement near Cosmo City in north western Johannesburg.

Eyewitnesses said thousands of residents took to the streets on Tuesday morning over housing issues and turned on metro police when the officers tried to prevent them from demonstrating.

Locals claim they have been waiting for proper houses since 2004. They have also demanded that Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane address the issue and visit the area.

“It is very tense but people are scared because police have tear gases and shooting at them. People where blocked from going to work,” one man among the protestors said.

The metro police’s Edna Mamonyane said more officers had to be deployed to the scene and by midday there was a large police presence.

Officers fired shots randomly into the crowd to disperse them and people who were on the scene earlier ran back into their shacks at the sight of the police chopper and nyalas.

Officers went on foot patrol, going door-to-door trying to find anyone that may have been involved in the morning’s violence.

At least two people were seriously injured and it is not clear whether live ammunition or rubber bullets were used.

At least six people have been arrested thus far.

~ par Alain Bertho sur 6 octobre 2010.

Publié dans émeutes, riots