Women beaten and shot at for land
Squatters retell how they were beaten and shot at by police for occupying unutilised land.
Rubbers bullets were fired at protesting pregnant women on Monday in Nellmapius, south of Mamelodi after they had occupied a piece of land.
“We did not do anything, when all we wanted was for our children to have homes where they can rest their heads, just land to build our homes on,” said Melita Seloisa.
Seloisa was holding her baby when she heard people screaming and shouting as they were shot at by police with rubber bullets.
“I thought it was just a peaceful meeting that my husband, Tommy, and other squatters were having when I heard people screaming,” she said.
Seloisa said she ran down the gravel road from her shack which was a stone’s throw away from the bloody scene.
“I feared the worst as I saw a man and some women being beaten by police and the Red Ants… My husband was there too,” recalled Seloisa.
Seloisa had her 14-month-old baby on her back when she decide to investigate what had been going on. Little did she know she would also be beaten for stealing land belonging to the metro.
Tirani Maluleke said his wife, Evelyn, was also attacked by the police.
“I was at work when I got a call that my heavily pregnant wife had been shot at by police with rubber bullets,” said Maluleke.
Maluleke who works as a security officer at a nearby hospital said he blamed himself for having left his pregnant wife at home.
“If I was there none of this would have happened, I would have been there to protect her,” Maluleke said.
Evelyn and other women were confronted by the police who told them they had to stop erecting shacks on the land. Police allegedly had three different stories as to whom the land belonged to and what it was to be used for.
Watch Evelyn tells her story:
A man who wanted to be referred to as Tommy said: “We asked them to tell us who this land belonged to and they gave us three different responses. Firstly they said the land was owned by the metro. The Red Ants told us it belonged to a private owner and the security officers from Passenger Rail Agency of South Africa (Prasa) said it belonged to the railway company.”
Tommy added that all three groups (Red Ants, police, metro police) suggested the land would be used to build a recreational park, while they also claimed a station or a shopping mall would be built.
“We know about plans to build a mall. But for years now they (metro) have been singing the ‘we gonna build a mall’ song which I think they are using as an excuse,” said Tommy.
Tommy said it was strange that the metro claimed the land now after years of being vacant.
The land which had overgrown, was said to be used as a spot to carry out criminal activities such as rape, murder and mugging especially during winter and in the evenings because it was unlit.
“Walking alone at night, you would either be robbed at gunpoint or be dragged to the bushes and raped,” said Siphumulile Ngwenya, a train commuter.
“I think what they did (land grabbers) was right as the space was dangerous,” said Ngwenya.
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