Rubber bullets fired as sporadic unrest flares up again in Tshwane

A violent stand-off between locals and foreign nationals in Sunnyside, Tshwane, on Thursday came to a grinding halt when the police fired rubber bullets to disperse the antagonists.

This was a repeat of Wednesday’s riot in the Pretoria CBD when foreign-owned shops were looted and burned by protesters who were reportedly on a mission to clear the area of alleged drug dealers.

According to the police, the violence erupted after a group marched to an apartment on the corner of Robert Sobukwe and Cilliers streets to search for drugs. This resulted in a standoff between two groups, which was broken up by the public order police. The streets were later cleared but shops remained closed.

“There was a group that tried to attack a foreign national and the police fired rubber bullets,” said police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Lungelo Dlamini.

While the situation in the capital remains calm, a number of police vehicles as well as Nyalas were patrolling the streets to maintain order.

The violence in the city came about after a taxi driver was shot and killed on Tuesday, News24 previously reported.

Earlier, Tshwane metro police spokesperson Isaac Mahamba confirmed to News24 that 18 people were arrested following Wednesday’s riot.

Mahamba said eight people had been arrested for public violence and 10 for the possession of stolen goods.

For more news your way, download The Citizen’s app for iOS and Android.