Police "fire live ammunition" at protesters
8 February 2010, 14:29
By Nontobeko Mtshali
It took the presence of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to calm the tensions and violence between protesting police reservists and police members at the Beyers' Naude Square, in central Joburg on Monday morning.
Police reservists from around the country had gathered to hand a memorandum to the Gauteng MEC of Community Safety, Khabisi Mosunkutu, complaining about working for years without pay only to be overlooked when permanent vacancies are opened.
Protesting reservists claim that about 11 of their peers had to be rushed to hospital after being shot with live ammunition by police officers.
Given Zondo, a 35-year-old reservist from Orlando, Soweto, said she saw two people being shot at close range by the police officers.
"They shot a man and a women and they dragged them into a police truck. When they shook the guy to wake him he was unresponsive," said Zondo, who has been a reservist for 9 years.
When Madikizela-Mandela arrived, she accepted the memorandum and promised to attend to the matter urgently. She said it was tragic that the protest action had to take place just days before the ruling party celebrated it's 98th anniversary and the commemoration of former President Nelson Mandela's release from prison.
This breaking news flash was supplied exclusively to iol.co.za by the news desk at our sister title, The Star.
For more about this story, carry on watching iol.co.za or click here to subscribe to the digital or print edition of the newspaper.
It took the presence of Winnie Madikizela-Mandela to calm the tensions and violence between protesting police reservists and police members at the Beyers' Naude Square, in central Joburg on Monday morning.
Police reservists from around the country had gathered to hand a memorandum to the Gauteng MEC of Community Safety, Khabisi Mosunkutu, complaining about working for years without pay only to be overlooked when permanent vacancies are opened.
Protesting reservists claim that about 11 of their peers had to be rushed to hospital after being shot with live ammunition by police officers.
Given Zondo, a 35-year-old reservist from Orlando, Soweto, said she saw two people being shot at close range by the police officers.
"They shot a man and a women and they dragged them into a police truck. When they shook the guy to wake him he was unresponsive," said Zondo, who has been a reservist for 9 years.
When Madikizela-Mandela arrived, she accepted the memorandum and promised to attend to the matter urgently. She said it was tragic that the protest action had to take place just days before the ruling party celebrated it's 98th anniversary and the commemoration of former President Nelson Mandela's release from prison.
This breaking news flash was supplied exclusively to iol.co.za by the news desk at our sister title, The Star.
For more about this story, carry on watching iol.co.za or click here to subscribe to the digital or print edition of the newspaper.
Pretoria
