The Ekurhuleni Metro Police Department has confirmed that a further two bodies have been discovered in Tembisa, on Gauteng’s East Rand bringing the death toll as a result of violent protest action in the area, to four.
The further two bodies were found on Monday afternoon near the Customer Care Centre, where the Municipal Centre was set alight.
Several vehicles belonging to the City of Ekurhuleni have been torched. Residents are protesting over the cost of electricity, and water as well as municipal rates and taxes.
“We do confirm that four fatalities have been recorded in the Tembisa protest action. The two emanated from when we were doing our inspection at the CCC and we discovered two fatalities. The first two, IPID is currently handling the case,” says EMPD spokesperson Kelebogile Thepe.
The community members went on a rampage after Ekurhuleni Mayor Tamia Campbell failed to attend a meeting
Campbell says what is happening in the community is a result of political interference :
Meanwhile, the Tembisa Hospital Chief Executive Officer, Dr. Ashley Mthunzi says they have had to reschedule some surgeries. Mthunzi says over 100 staff members could not pitch for work due to the violent protest in the area.
He says patients have been badly affected.
“Patients could not collect medication, there is a patient that we air-lifted, who was on the verge of delivery, we had to airlift the patient to Steve Biko. People who actually did not show up because of these protests, largely from the support which is the cleaners, the porters who could not show up because they live in the community. We had to cancel two elective operations related to orthopedics because our staff who normally would assist in that particular space, they were not available.”
