Eldo residents 'want justice'

2005-10-08 21:37

Johannesburg - Eldorado Park residents promised to continue protesting over the murder of a six-year-old girl on Saturday after a day of violent demonstrations.

The residents, who threw stones, broke windows and damaged cars outside of the Eldorado Park police station, dispersed on Saturday afternoon but promised to come back to protest about the death of Gairoenisha Ganchi.

Ganchi went missing on Thursday afternoon and was found naked and mutilated at a veld near her home on Friday morning.

Several people were arrested and a few injured when police fired rubber bullets at the mob who chanted "we want justice".

Residents accused police of having acted indifferently when the girl's mother, Madeniya Ganchi, went to report her missing on Thursday.

The crowd started gathering outside the police station on Saturday morning when community members came to hand over a man believed to be behind the murder.

The crowd started throwing stones and breaking windows.

Spokesperson Superintendent Lungelo Dlamini said the police were forced to retaliate by firing rubber bullets into the crowd.

Unconfirmed reports said 10 people were initially arrested on Saturday morning and by the afternoon, the number had risen to more than 15.

"Is this justice? Police are firing live ammunition at people and arresting them for no reason," said one man, who would only identify himself as Dawood.

"Our children get killed and they want to kill us. We will make war if it's necessary".

Dlamini refused to confirm the number of people arrested or the unconfirmed reports that the man who had been handed to the police earlier was taken to hospital due to severe injuries.

Protesters also threw a petrol bomb at one of the police vehicles but the fire was quickly extinguished.

Gauteng police commissioner Perumal Naidoo, who visited the area in attempt to restore calm, later warned the angry mob to "go home" or "face arrest".

- SAPA