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500 protesting vendors arrested
19/06/2007 19:08 - (SA)
Durban - Police arrested an estimated 500 protesting street traders outside the Durban magistrate's court following clashes in which a water cannon, pepper spray and stun grenades were used.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Muzi Mngomezulu could not immediately say how many were arrested.
However, two large lorries were seen ferrying protesters to the police station and returning to collect more.
Earlier in the morning, police used rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse about 500 protesting street traders on Soldier's Way as they attempted to march to the court building.
The clashes between the police and the traders followed those on Monday at Durban's Warwick Triangle when 20 traders were arrested after eThekwini metro police arrested four vendors for illegal trading.
The traders were demanding the release of those arrested on Monday.
The traders' leaders were due to have a meeting with eThekwini municipal officials at 15:00 on Tuesday to resolve traders' grievances. It was not immediately clear if any of the leaders had been among those arrested outside the magistrate's court.
'Why are they arresting our people?'
A vendor, who spoke on condition of anonymity said: "The metro (police) are skebenga (bandits)! I have no work. I have been trading for 10 years. What am I supposed to do?"
Themba Duma, a spokesperson for the Informal Traders' Management Board, an umbrella organisation representing Durban's street traders, said before the arrests that he had hoped police would not act against the traders until the outcome of negotiations on Tuesday afternoon.
"We are trying to solve the problem. There is no proper consultation. They just enforce and there are no shelters and no water (for the licensed traders).
"Why are they arresting our people? It was better before. Under the new system it is our people doing this. Under the old system we knew it was a part of the struggle."
Duma could not be reached for comment after eThekwini Metro Police and the South African Police Services public order policing unit began arresting traders outside the court buildings.
Police moved in after the traders refused to disperse, first targeting those who had rocks and sticks.
In the aftermath, shoes were lying everywhere, left behind by people attempting to flee the stun grenades and the water cannon.
As police herded the traders into lorries, a lone woman was seen collecting their shoes, hats and even a cellphone that had been dropped.
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