Cops open fire on ANC supporters

2010-03-21 17:37

Durban - Rubber bullets were fired at ANC supporters in Clermont, Durban on Sunday morning when they stoned police in an illegal protest, KwaZulu-Natal police said.

"About 600 ANC members were chanting slogans in Clermont and in a way the Cope members felt they were being threatened and police were called in to intervene," Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said.

"It was an illegal protest and therefore the crowd was ordered to disperse, but there was no co-operation."

The public order police unit was called in and the crowd again ordered to break up. Again protesters ignored this.

"Rubber bullets were used to disperse them and then they started stoning police officers. Eventually they dispersed. There were no injuries reported."

Tensions

One man was arrested after being found in possession of an unlicensed firearm. He would appear in the Pinetown Magistrate's Court on Tuesday.

In a statement, Cope claimed the crowd torched homes and shops belonging to its members. Mdunge denied this. He said there had been tension in the Clermont area over the past two weeks.

"It started when the Cope leadership went to the police station and requested their members be escorted out of the area because they felt that their lives were being threatened."

Police went with them, fetched their belongings and escorted them out.

Claims later surfaced that police had encouraged them to leave "which is all lies", said Mdunge.

A meeting between the ANC, Cope, community policing forum and local police was scheduled to take place at the KwaDabeka police station at 11:00 on Monday to try and resolve the problem.

- SAPA