Monday, September 3, 2007

One dead in housing protest

One demonstrator was killed and several others injured on Monday during violent protests against housing conditions in the Johannesburg township of Soweto, police said.

The victim was accidentally run over by a bread van during clashes with police who had opened fire with rubber bullets and teargas during the demonstration which saw several hundred shack dwellers block a major highway.

Among those injured were two journalists, police spokeswoman Inspector Edna Mamonyane told AFP.

"Police had to use rubber bullets when hundreds of residents became violent during a protest," she said.

"Two journalists were injured when protesters started throwing stones and bricks at the police. A protester was run over by a bakery truck and killed on the scene, while we arrested seven suspects."

The clashes broke out as the protesters demanded to see a local councillor about their housing conditions in the sprawling township which was a hotbed of resistance to the former ruling apartheid regime.

Anger has been growing among Soweto residents over the continuing poor standards of housing since the African National Congress came to power in 1994.

President Thabo Mbeki last week denied that there was "a crisis of service delivery" under questioning from the opposition in parliament. - AFP

InternAfrica - Normally only concerns itself with the habitat-crisis in the western cape - this story however is Nationally relevant in exposing the presidents lack of touch.

No comments: