A second person has been killed at the violent service delivery protest in Tembisa, on the East Rand.
Beverly Masinga, 51, on Monday revealed how she witnessed the killing of a 52-year-old man in their yard.
Masinga said a police officer leaned against the boundary wall and shot directly at the man at a house along George Nyanga Drive, right opposite the municipal offices where protesters torched the building and cars.
About four vehicles that were in the municipal yard have been set alight.
The offices were broken into and items such as TV screens, fridges and computers were also set alight, while some protesters took advantage and looted items such a grass cutters, toilet papers and heaters.
Others yelled: “No looting. We burn everything.”
“We were standing in the yard watching as people were burning items when the officer aimed at him and shot. We ran and some tried to help him as he was bleeding but he died on the spot. I don’t know why they shot at us in our yard when the violence was outside.”
Metro police in Ekurhuleni have warned the public to avoid the area, adding that the situation was volatile.
Tembisa SAPS communications officer Constable Zandile Mgijima said reports that a police station in the area had been set alight were false and both police stations in the area were untouched.
According to Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa, the “situation remains volatile” and officers are seeing a protest “with elements of criminality”.
No arrests had been made at the time of publication.
Earlier on Monday, EMPD spokesperson Kelebogile Thepe said that the first protester was fatally wounded in the crossfire between members of the metro police and other demonstrators.
She said that the area had been completely shut down.
“Tembisa is a no-go area, all the roads are still blockaded, burning tyres and rocks. Where I’m currently standing at the CCC, which has also been set alight and there’s looting happening as we speak.”
The angry residents, who are protesting over high rates and electricity bills, said that they would continue until Ekurhuleni Mayor Tania Campbell came to the area.
Thepe said that EMPD members had been met with resistance from residents, who had torched several buildings, including a customer care centre.
Thepe said that members of the SAPS were yet to conduct the necessary investigations.
She urged residents to avoid Tembisa at all costs.
CAMPBELL CALLS FOR CALM IN TEMBISA
“I call for calm to be immediately be restored to Tembisa. Citizens have the constitutional right to protest, however, such acts of arson and vandalism to the public infrastructure will not be tolerated,” said the mayor in a statement.
She said she delegated Members of the Mayoral Committee on Friday to engage the community on the memorandum they had submitted to the city.
“However, that meeting unfortunately collapsed and failed to reach a resolution.”
Campbell added that she would reach out to premier David Makhura to come up with coordinated approach to the dead end.
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