Man shot in the stomach during Nkobongo protest

A man was shot in the stomach during a protest in Nkobongo, KwaZulu-Natal, early on Wednesday.

Goodman Nkoyeni, 30, was one of the 100-strong crowd that reportedly demanded jobs at the Umhlali Quarry, situated near the entrance to the township, North Coast Courier reported.

The crowd had blocked the road between the quarry and Shakaskraal with burning tyres, rocks, tree branches and an old burnt car.

The circumstances leading to the shooting remain unclear, but Umhlali police spokesperson Vinny Pillay confirmed that a quarry security guard had been arrested.

Nkobongo residents taking part this morning told The Courier that after the first protest they understood that a system would be set up to include them in the job selection process.

“The management promised to go via the ward committee and councillor whenever there are job opportunities,” said resident Sizwe Mthiyane.

“What brought us back to the street is that instead they used one resident to source people for employment in the township. We want to know why was the councillor and ward committee were not being notified if there were employment opportunities,” said Mthiyane.

He said a meeting had been set up with quarry’s management this afternoon, but the road remains closed.

Attempts to get comment from the Umhlali Quarry have so far been unsuccessful.

An old car was dragged on to the road to prevent access to Umhlali Quarry.

– Caxton News Service

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