A community leader at Madombidzha village outside Louis Trichardt in Limpopo has denied that protesting residents, who were shot at by the police, were violent.
Patrick Sikhutsi says police officers fired rubber bullets at residents unprovoked. The residents have been complaining about known suspects in incidents of housebreaking and theft in the area having not been arrested.
He says several people have been injured. The protest has resulted in the blockading of roads and disruption of schooling and public transport.
Sikhutshi blames the police for the community’s retaliation.
“The police started shooting at us and without being provoked. I was also shot at twice. There are many who are actually injured. The Deputy Cluster Commander is the one who actually provoked the residents and we have been saying all along that we don’t want blockages and all these things, but the presence of this Colonel has brought us to this unfortunate situation.”
