LIMPOPO – Several people were wounded on Monday after police fired rubber bullets at protesters who had blocked the D3812 road linking Giyani town with areas such as Homu 14B, Homu 14C, Mapayeni, and other surrounding villages from Section A.

The protest saw residents from Homu 14A and 14B barricading the road with burning tyres, logs, and rocks, demanding that police address their grievances before it could be reopened.

At the centre of their concerns were rising incidents of violent crime, with residents claiming that armed suspects were invading homes, robbing families, and raping victims in front of children.

Protesters accuse police of excessive force

Community members said their frustration had been worsened by what they described as police inaction, alleging that known criminals in the area remained untouched because they were considered dangerous.

However, as residents gathered, police allegedly arrived and began firing rubber bullets without warning.

“We were not fighting, but they shot at us with the intent to hit, not just to disperse. If it was about dispersing, they wouldn’t have acted the way they did,” said one of the protest leaders, Ntsako Ndlovu from Homu 14B.

Another protester, Jeanette Hlungwani, claimed police pursued fleeing residents.

“These people had a clear intent to harm someone; you could see them chasing people and shooting as they were fleeing,” she said. Hlungwani was shot three times, twice in the leg and once in the head.

She denied claims that protesters blocked an ambulance meant for a snakebite victim, saying it was turned away because they believed it was there to collect injured protesters while the protest was still ongoing.

Community members expressed concern over the number of injuries from rubber bullets, alleging excessive police force. Despite the injuries, none of the victims were willing to seek hospital treatment.

Police say crowd turned violent

Responding to the incident, provincial police spokesperson Lt Col Stephen Thakeng confirmed that members of Giyani Public Order Policing were dispatched after receiving reports that about 500 residents had blocked the road in Section 14C at around 06:00 on Monday.

“Members tried several times to engage with some of the residents, but they indicated that they did not want to talk to SAPS members. The road was blocked, and neither motorists nor an ambulance could pass,” said Thakeng.

He said residents began throwing stones at police vehicles, prompting officers to issue repeated warnings to remove barricades and disperse. When residents refused, police used rubber bullets to break up the crowd.

Public violence case opened

Later, some residents submitted crime-related complaints to the Giyani Police Station commander, who promised to address them.

Police confirmed that a public violence case had been opened with no arrests yet, and said officers remain on the ground to monitor the situation.