Community complains after protestor dispersed
What was meant to be a celebration of youth empowerment turned into a violent spectacle.
Solidarity Action Committee has laid charges against the police after a group of protestors were dispersed by rubber bullets.
The Informal Settlements Committee, Solidarity Action Committees, said in a media statement what was meant to be a celebration of youth empowerment turned into a violent spectacle of state repression, as police fired rubber bullets.
“More than 67 people were injured, some seriously, as the South African Police Service (SAPS) unleashed brutal force to keep the poor and youth away and out of an event that was reserved for the elite—upper-class blacks and whites who mingled comfortably inside, far removed from the suffering of the masses,” the statement read.
“The poor were treated as criminals shot at, and denied entry—while the connected elite enjoyed a sanitized celebration. The fear of the oppressed speaking truth to power was so great that the state chose bullets over dialogue. The scenes in Potchefstroom confirm what many already know: South Africa remains a society of two nations—one for the wealthy (black and white) and another for the impoverished black majority.”
The charges were laid on Thursday, June 19 at the Ikageng police station.
A group of protesters was dispersed by rubber bullets in Chief Albert Luthuli drive between 06:00 and 07:30 on June 16, amid scenes of public unrest.
No arrests were made on the scene Police spokesperson Colonel Adele Myburgh said that officers were dispatched to the area in response to reports of unrest that have been ongoing since last week.
According to Myburgh, the group had blocked the road, causing dozens of citizens to reroute their journeys to work.
Myburgh added that the use of rubber bullets to disperse protesters is always a last resort.
“We have policies that dictate the use of force. We always try to negotiate first, then give protestors a chance to disperse peacefully, only when all avenues have failed, do we resort to the use of rubber bullets or water cannons,” she said.
Captain Mpho Manyoba, police spokesperson noted there is no case registered yet.
