PICS: Volatile Masi being monitored
Police were keeping a close eye on Masiphumelele after hundreds of protesters set up burning barricades.
|||Cape Town - Police were keeping a close eye on Masiphumelele on Tuesday night after hundreds of protesters set up burning barricades to prevent access to the area on Tuesday morning.
The protesters demanded the release of seven men who appeared in the Simon’s Town Magistrate’s Court after an alleged mob justice incident in the area two weeks ago.
The alleged vigilante attack resulted in the death of one man who had been beaten and shot, and the severe injury of another who had been beaten and set alight.
The attack on September 15 was believed to be in response to the murder of a 14-year-old boy.
The arrest of the seven men thought to be responsible for the attack had residents up in arms.
Tuesday morning, residents took to the streets, burning debris, rubbish bins and tyres while chanting and singing songs, and hurling rocks and stones at the police.
Resident Sithembele Mtshamba said the men needed to be freed in order for the crowd to disperse.
“We were protesting because seven residents were arrested last week in their houses, not at the scene. Now more people have been arrested and the people are angrier and won’t go away until they are released.”
Police spokesman Captain FC van Wyk said on Tuesday morning approximately 100 residents from Masiphumelele staged a protest, blocking off Kommetjie Road outside the informal settlement.
Van Wyk said police were immediately dispatched to the scene to monitor the protests and try to contain any violence that might erupt.
However, the protesters regrouped and returned with approximately 1 000 who gathered inside Masiphumelele, he said.
The seven men were released on R500 bail each.
Despite the men’s release, the crowd remained, adding fuel to the burning barricades, claiming to show solidarity with the arrested men.
They refused to allow anyone to leave or enter the area.
Police arrested more people on charges of public violence.
A mother told the Cape Argus her daughter was unable to go to school, which resulted in her arrest by police.
She said it was not fair that the protest affected innocent people.
“This will go on for a while now because the communication between the police and the community is not going well. We don’t want to leave,” she said.
Protesters continued the barrage on public-order police, who retaliated with rubber bullets and stun grenades.
As journalists tried to approach the large group of protesters, the crowd turned on them, throwing stones and shouting that they should leave.
Efforts by the police to have the protesters disperse peacefully through negotiations were unsuccessful.
After a number of warnings issued over a loudhailer, the police stormed the crowd, which quickly dispersed between the informal structures.
Van Wyk said:
“Police have since arrested 35 people in respect of public violence.
“Investigations thus far have established that the protests Tuesday morning were in retaliation to the seven people who were arrested last week for public violence and were refused bail on September 23.”
Meanwhile, investigations into the murder of the boy and the murder and attempted murder of two men were continuing.
kalipa.siyabonga@inl.co.za
Cape Argus