Chaos erupts at Montecasino protest as two sisters are arrested
Tensions flared at Montecasino on October 14 when police arrested two women during a protest over jobs for locals.
Chaos erupted at a protest outside Montecasino on October 14 when police arrested two women, said to be sisters, during a demonstration over the alleged employment of undocumented foreign nationals.
The protest, which drew residents demanding jobs for locals, started in the morning, with demonstrators intending to blockade Winnie Mandela Drive.
Read more: Fourways jobseekers protest outside Montecasino over local hiring choices
However, a captain of the public order police, West Rand, informed the protesters that they had a designated area where they were permitted to picket, at the entrance of the establishment on Montecasino Boulevard.
The march leadership agreed to move the demonstration to the designated area, but made it clear that they wanted to engage with Montecasino management over their concerns.
The protesters continued their picket as they waited for an opportunity to raise their demands with the establishment, but tensions escalated when police arrested one of the protesters for allegedly contravening traffic by-laws.
Her sister, who disputed the arrest and insisted that her sibling had done nothing wrong, confronted police officers.
Also read: Jobseekers threaten to intensify Montecasino protest
The exchange escalated, and police subsequently arrested her as well.
The two sisters were taken into a police van before being transported to Douglasdale Police Station.
The arrests angered protesters, some of whom approached police leadership to seek clarity on what had happened to the sisters. One of the protesters, Emily Kabini, questioned the decision to arrest people who had taken to the streets to demand employment opportunities for South Africans.
“Why would you arrest someone for risking their lives for something that they believe would benefit the country? What we want here is very simple: jobs, and the fact that we need you to stop hiring illegal immigrants and give us the jobs as locals, just as the law says.”
The arrests further heightened tensions at the demonstration, with protesters expressing anger over the police’s handling of the situation.
The captain confirmed that the two sisters had been arrested for contravening traffic by-laws and taken to Douglasdale Police Station, where the case would be further investigated.
The protest is ongoing.
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