Hundreds of De Doorns residents scrambled between their shacks and fled up mountain paths when police fired rubber bullets at a crowd of protesters for the second day in a row.
Officers opened fire on Tuesday to disperse the crowd.
The protesters are demanding better service delivery. They want access to water and electricity to be connected immediately to their homes in the Stofland informal settlement.
Nearly 4 000 protesters blocked the N1 in De Doorns and threw stones at motorists on Monday.
Police responded with rubber bullets. Freddie Louw, 63, was injured and died in hospital. Eight other people were injured.
Louw's family said the father of four was a "peace-loving, quiet man".
On Wednesday, shortly before the N1 was cleared of stones and reopened, a group of protesters toyi-toyied through Stofland.
They confronted scores of police officers and two armoured vehicles that had taken up position on the N1, which is separated from the settlement by a fence and sandy strip of land.
After police repeatedly warned the crowd to disperse, officers streamed through a small opening in the fence to get to the residents.
Two armoured vans entered the area and other vans were seen stationed around it.
When the group continued to refuse to disperse, officers began firing rubber bullets. Residents ran between the shacks to escape. Others ran for the mountain behind the settlement, with officers in pursuit.
Children were heard crying and a woman, her head bleeding, was seen running into a shack. "This is unnecessary," she shouted.
Officers walked through the streets shouting at residents to go back to their homes.
An hour later, the atmosphere remained tense. Stunned schoolchildren who were walking home stared at the armed police officers.
Earlier, residents met Breede Valley council Speaker Joe January. But community representative Anton Femboes said they had not been assured their needs would be met.
"We need electricity, more toilets and more taps. We'll block the N1 every day for seven days if we don't get this," Femboes said.
There was one toilet to about eight shacks. People wanted a toilet for every shack.
Another meeting had been planned for Stofland community leaders and municipal representatives. But Breede Valley municipal manager Allen Paulse said residents had not pitched up.
"They want to talk about foreigners coming into the area and taking their jobs, (which is a matter for) the Home Affairs Department. They also want electricity for their homes."
Paulse said Eskom was willing to provide the area with electricity if the shacks remained for three years.
Meanwhile, as the protests continued, Louw's family was in shock.
Louw's son, Freddie jun, was with his father when he was shot.
"He went to listen to the (Breede Valley) mayor (Charles Ntsomi) speak.
"A fight broke out afterwards, when the police captain said the people must move away and they didn't. They began throwing stones. That's when my father was shot. He wasn't throwing stones."
Louw's daughter, Maria Bezuidenhout, said she had seen her father 15 minutes before he left.
"The next thing I heard was he was shot. I ran next door and called the ambulance. When I got (to him), my father was on the ground with a bullet sticking out of his head. He was still breathing."
The De Doorns police said they had received no reports of injuries in yesterday's clashes.
- Cape Times
Officers opened fire on Tuesday to disperse the crowd.
The protesters are demanding better service delivery. They want access to water and electricity to be connected immediately to their homes in the Stofland informal settlement.
| 'We need electricity, more toilets and more taps' |
Police responded with rubber bullets. Freddie Louw, 63, was injured and died in hospital. Eight other people were injured.
Louw's family said the father of four was a "peace-loving, quiet man".
On Wednesday, shortly before the N1 was cleared of stones and reopened, a group of protesters toyi-toyied through Stofland.
They confronted scores of police officers and two armoured vehicles that had taken up position on the N1, which is separated from the settlement by a fence and sandy strip of land.
| 'We'll block the N1 every day for seven days' |
Two armoured vans entered the area and other vans were seen stationed around it.
When the group continued to refuse to disperse, officers began firing rubber bullets. Residents ran between the shacks to escape. Others ran for the mountain behind the settlement, with officers in pursuit.
Children were heard crying and a woman, her head bleeding, was seen running into a shack. "This is unnecessary," she shouted.
Officers walked through the streets shouting at residents to go back to their homes.
An hour later, the atmosphere remained tense. Stunned schoolchildren who were walking home stared at the armed police officers.
Earlier, residents met Breede Valley council Speaker Joe January. But community representative Anton Femboes said they had not been assured their needs would be met.
"We need electricity, more toilets and more taps. We'll block the N1 every day for seven days if we don't get this," Femboes said.
There was one toilet to about eight shacks. People wanted a toilet for every shack.
Another meeting had been planned for Stofland community leaders and municipal representatives. But Breede Valley municipal manager Allen Paulse said residents had not pitched up.
"They want to talk about foreigners coming into the area and taking their jobs, (which is a matter for) the Home Affairs Department. They also want electricity for their homes."
Paulse said Eskom was willing to provide the area with electricity if the shacks remained for three years.
Meanwhile, as the protests continued, Louw's family was in shock.
Louw's son, Freddie jun, was with his father when he was shot.
"He went to listen to the (Breede Valley) mayor (Charles Ntsomi) speak.
"A fight broke out afterwards, when the police captain said the people must move away and they didn't. They began throwing stones. That's when my father was shot. He wasn't throwing stones."
Louw's daughter, Maria Bezuidenhout, said she had seen her father 15 minutes before he left.
"The next thing I heard was he was shot. I ran next door and called the ambulance. When I got (to him), my father was on the ground with a bullet sticking out of his head. He was still breathing."
The De Doorns police said they had received no reports of injuries in yesterday's clashes.
- Cape Times
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