UPDATE: EFF march turns violent
Rubber bullets fired and mayor's house targeted.
A supposedly peaceful march organised by the EFF (Economic Freedom Fighters) turned nasty when police used rubber bullets and teargas to disperse the hundreds of protestors on Wednesday.
The EFF gathered in Mohlakeng as early as 3am. Police had to block all the roads leading to Mohlakeng. No one was allowed to go into Mohlakeng but there were residents from the area driving out to get to work. Many people had to walk more than 10km to get to their jobs and were very upset about the situation going down in Mohlakeng.
The protestors were burning tyres and looting the Mohlakeng municipality and surrounding shops. The police were not saying anything but words like “mob justice” and “violence” were broadcasted on the police radios of the officers who were stopping people from entering. The atmosphere was thick and smoke could be seen kms from the Mohlakeng municipality.
Police approached protestors to sort out the situation. A decision was then made to let the march continue into town and to the Randfontein Municipality which had been closed since early in the morning. Thousands of people could be seen running towards Randfontein on the R28 and looked very happy and peaceful while they were gathering just before the Traffic Department.
When all the marchers had bundled up together to start the march in town the police fired rubber bullets.
According to marchers, the police did not give any warning.
“We were being peaceful but the police just yelled fire, with rubber bullets flying everywhere. It was terrible, a woman fell in the road and they just continued firing at us,” a very scared and shocked Matshidiso Maja told the herald.
One man allegedly  was shot in his left eye an was bleeding profusely. He was taken to Leratong Hospital where he received treatment. Leon Kruger from the Fire Department said that there were about six people transported to Leratong Hospital for various injuries sustained during the police shooting.
The couple of people left from the march tried to reason with the authorities to continue their march to the municipality and deliver their memorandum but police would not budge.
Accordig to Raymond Moeng, a herald freelancer who was in Mohlakeng during the protest, the mayor, Sylvia Thebenare’s house in Mohlakeng was burned down in all the chaos. Protestors also burned down the post office and library according to witnesses at the scene.
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