JOHANNESBURG — Two municipal buildings were set alight while roads were blocked with stones, bricks and tyres, and another person was arrested as protest continued into the second day in Ficksburg,
On Wednesday in the eastern Free State town, a man was killed, allegedly by police officers.
"The Home Affairs building and the public works building was set alight at around 12.45 pm," said police spokesperson Captain Phumelelo Dlamini. The buildings are on different streets and firefighters fought the flames for more than two hours. Dlamini said that after the fires started the police were checking if anyone had been injured or if the buildings were evacuated in time.
"I'm also not sure if our members arrested anyone yet for arson," he said. Nor were any police members arrested in connection with the fatal beating of Andries Tatane,(33), which was televised on SABC news.
Following Wednesday's riots, Dlamini said, the situation in the area has returned to "calm" and that residents are in their homes. This after 200 people converged on the Ficksburg Magistrate's Court singing and toyi-toyiing to demand the release of 45 people who were arrested for public violence on Wednesday.
They were released on warning to appear again on May 24.
Leading the march, Lereko Manako, of the Concern Citizens of Meqheleng forum, said scores of residents were injured in Wednesday's protest against poor service delivery when police opened fire on them.
"People were trampled and hurt in the commotion and we don't even know if it was live ammunition or rubber bullets."
He was aware of the fire a few roads away and dismissed SABC reports that pupils started it.
"We only have adults protesting, not children," he said.
Dlamini said police are not sure if pupils were involved.
Manako said he was mandated to speak on behalf of the Tatane family. "The family are really, really sad and distraught and it's a terrible situation. They are angry and we are giving them time to now to sort out funeral arrangements."
The Human Rights Commission of SA (HRCSA) said it approached the Independent Complaints Directorate (ICD) on Thursday and was assured that the matter will be thoroughly investigated .
HRCSA chairperson advocate Lawrence Mushwana said the commission is concerned about what appeared to be a trend in South Africa where residents were violated by police when exercising their constitutional rights. He noted there were similar reports of police brutality during recent service delivery protests in Ermelo.
The ICD has sent a team of investigators to Ficksburg. "They will investigate and take statements from witnesses and police … then an identity parade will be carried out," said ICD spokesperson Moses Dlamini."
Firearms will be sent for ballistics testing.
A report of the findings would be compiled and sent to the Director of Public Prosecutions for a decision whether to prosecute, he added. It is not clear whether the police officers accused of the crime have been suspended.
Earlier, the ANC said it wants Police Minister Nathi Mthethwa to probe the matter and institute an "immediate commission of inquiry".
It also called the Independent Communications Authority of SA to investigate whether the broadcaster had overstepped its mandate, said spokesperson Jackson Mthembu.
Police allegedly fired rubber bullets into Tatane's chest and then beat him with batons during a service delivery protest in the Meqheleng township.
He was allegedly attacked by at least six policemen "simultaneously", according to media reports. Tatane, who was the breadwinner of his family and had one child, was seen holding his hand against his chest after the assault and collapsed about 20 minutes later. He died before the ambulance arrived. — Sapa.
JOHANNESBURG
The killing of a man during a protest in Ficksburg allegedly at the hands of the police was widely condemned by political parties, trade unions and civil society yesterday.
"This is really bad for the province and the country and we call for a thorough investigation on this matter and anyone who is found to have misused his powers … must face the might of the law," Congress of SA Trade Unions (Cosatu) Free State secretary Sam Mashinini said.
The union federation was "shocked and disgusted" by the death.
Lucky Khoza, secretary-general of the Pan Africanist Youth Congress of Azania, said, "We have said it before: that militarising the police will not yield any good results in fighting crime, but will only result in the police unleashing brutal force against the poor."
The National Union of Metalworkers of SA said the assault is a reminder of apartheid hit squads that used to "kill and torture our people in townships".
"We are really worried that our country is gradually degenerating into a police state where the police are a law unto themselves," regional secretary Andile Zitho said.
The Democratic Alliance said footage of the killing, broadcast on SABC news, showed the ANC government is willing to use apartheid-era policing tactics to clamp down on service delivery protests.
"It's a deplorable and desperate act that shows just how badly this administration has lost its way," MP Wilmot James said.
"It is also completely unacceptable that the ANC government has now attempted to censor the broadcast of this story by writing to the Independent Communications Authority of SA."
Media Monitoring Africa welcomed the decision by the SABC to give prominence and attention to the crime, but said it is concerned about discrepancies in how the story was reported.
The National Education, Health and Allied Workers' Union called on Police Commissioner General Bheki Cele to ensure those responsible for the crime are charged. "This reckless conduct by the police is nothing new and the unions have experienced it first-hand," spokesperson Sizwe Pamla said.
African Christian Democratic Party president Kenneth Meshoe said the police behaved like a "pack of hyenas".
According to the SA Municipal Workers' Union, the incident is a reflection of the current state of South Africa's democracy. Spokesperson Tahir Sema said the government needs to "rein in" the out-of-control forces and engage with them on how service delivery issues can best be resolved.
The Centre for the Study of Violence and Reconciliation said it has raised important concerns about the standard of police training and the overall standard of leadership within the SA Police Service.
"The use of force needs to be recognised for what it is … and appropriate steps taken to ensure that members are able to uphold the appropriate standards for using force," it said in a statement.
In The Witness.
CSVR is a multi-disciplinary institute that seeks to understand and prevent violence, heal its effects and build sustainable peace at the community, national and regional levels.
