POLOKWANE – The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) and the Democratic Alliance (DA) in Limpopo have both had their say regarding the Limpopo police’s response to the ongoing unrest in Musina.
Residents in Nancefield have gone on a rampage, blocking roads and burning tyres in a week-long protest over a lack of water supply to the area. A police vehicle was damaged and a municipal tractor as well as the Nancefield municipal offices torched.
On Monday, video footage of a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly shot with live ammunition by police began circulating on social media.
The EFF’s provincial convenor Mbuyiseni Ndlozi said the party strongly condems the excessive use of gun fire on unarmed civilians.
“The EFF is disheartened and concerned at the news of a 15-year-old girl who was allegedly shot with live ammunition. This police brutality is unwarranted and is a result of the ANC-led Musina Municipality’s failure to provide water to our people,” his statement read.
Ndlozi said the party has long called on the Department of Water and Sanitation to immediately intervene and resolve the interruption of water supply in Musina before the situation gets out of hand, but that their demands fell on deaf ears because “the arrogance in the ANC’s leaders comes before the needs of our people.”
The party have also called on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate to investigate the alleged use of live ammunition in the area.
Meanwhile, the DA’s provincial spokesperson on transport and community safety, Katlego Phala said the party has written to the Provincial Police Commissioner Lt Genl Thembi Hadebe to urgently increase police presence in Musina.
“The DA has sympathy with a frustrated community who are desperate for a consistent supply of water, but we call for calm in communities and request that the right to protest be conducted in a responsible manner,” her statement read.
Phala said despite police presence, Limpopo police “do not seem to have the situation under control.”
“The DA is concerned that the protest could lead to similar levels of destruction as the Vuwani protests in 2016, during which a post office, government buildings and 31 schools were torched. Commissioner Hadebe needs to deploy more police to the area and ensure that preventative measures are put in place to quell the violence, looting and destruction of public infrastructure,” she said.
Phala added that should the Limpopo police not be equal to the task at hand, the South African National Defence Force should be deployed to assist.
The Director for Communications and Marketing for the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID), Lizzy Suping confirmed to Review that police were called to disperse protesters by using rubber bullets.
“A 15-year-old girl was wounded and taken to hospital for medical treatment. IPID is investigating the incident,” she said.
