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Richards Bay protesters flip police cars
Durban - Protesters used front loaders to flip police vehicles and tear up roadside barriers at the Richards Bay Harbour on Tuesday.
Police fired shots at the earth-moving machines in their attempt to keep them at bay, without success.
According to a 2.5-minute-long video supplied by Dylan Meyrick of IPSS medical rescue, the earth-moving machines are driven towards a police contingent at the port. One police van is flipped onto its side and barriers along the side of a road are ripped up.
When police realised that the more than a dozen bulldozers were not willing to stop, they retreated and moved some of their vehicles to a safer spot.
A policeman shouts “Danger zone, man!” at onlookers. He then warns them in isiZulu: “What if these people fire shots? A bullet will hit and kill one of you. Come stand next to the wall.”
Police spokesperson Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane told News24 that the protesters overturned two police vehicles.
Their actions were apparently due to unhappiness about working conditions.
“There are some protesters who were arrested and will be charged with public violence,” Zwane said.
Comment from Transnet could not immediately be obtained. DM
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