Rubber bullets used to disperse protesting Diepkloof hostel residents as public violence case opened

Rubber bullets were fired by the police as residents of Diepkloof hostel in Soweto erupted into another bout of protest, fueled by frustration over substandard living conditions.

The hostel residents protested on Monday morning, blocking N1 and N12 highways at the Diepkloof Interchange with rocks and burning tyres.

The demonstrations disrupted morning peak traffic as the protestors, who were understood to be demanding access to basic necessities such as electricity; water; and adequate housing, pelted passing vehicles with stones.

Rubber bullets used

The highways have now been cleared after the South African Police Service (Saps) was deployed to the area, according to Gauteng police spokesperson Mavela Masondo.

Speaking to the media, Masondo said law enforcement officers resorted to firing rubber bullets to disperse the agitated crowd and prevent them from further obstructing the freeway.

“We got the information last night that the residents here at Diepkloof hostel will be protesting then we started to deploy from last night to make sure our members come here early in the morning.

“Indeed, this morning from the hostel came out and barricaded some of the main roads [including] Chris Hani Road and the Diepkloof Interchange.

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“We managed to use minimum force which is rubber bullets to push them back to the hostel. So far the situation is calm and is under control,” he told reporters on Monday.

Masondo confirmed that a case of public violence has been registered after two vehicles, including one belonging to the Johannesburg Metropolitan Police Department (JMPD), were damaged by stones during the incident.

“No arrests have been made so far, but there is a case that we have opened.”

He added that the police would monitor the situation until calm has been restored.

Lesufi unable to intervene

The hostel residents demanded that Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi address their housing troubles.

But Lesufi said his hands were tied because the provincial government doesn’t have jurisdiction over the hostel.

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“I share their frustrations and pain, hence we launched TISH (townships, informal, settlements and hostels improvement program). But our hands are tied because this hostel is owned and controlled by the municipality.

“All our provincial hostels are undergoing major renovations because we truly care about their plight. Let the municipality play its role or hand over this hostel to us we will attend to the concerns,” the premier said on X, formerly known as Twitter.