Youth Day ends in violence
2005-06-16 22:13
Lindsay Barnes and Lucky Cain
Durban - Chants of "We want Zuma" filled the air and missiles were flung at police
at a provincial Youth Day celebration held in Durban that was disrupted
on Thursday by an unruly youth element apparently angry at the sacking of
Jacob Zuma.
Stones flew between ANC and IFP supporters outside the stadium as crowds
were dispersing around mid afternoon.
Stones were thrown on both sides for
about five minutes and the crowds scattered to take cover.
A witness said he
saw a man just in front of him hit in the face by a stone.
Initially, both IFP- and ANC-aligned youths marched out of the stadium
together but the scene turned ugly when IFP youths starting singing songs to
provoke ANC members.
The IFP members were chanting "sizowanyathela amaqabane" (we will stamp
over the ANC comrades).
The rally was attended by thousands of people - around 15 000 youths were
organised in 300 buses - and was described by witnesses as "tense".
The official speeches, including that of KwaZulu-Natal Premier S'bu
Ndebele, were disrupted by crowds chanting pro-Zuma slogans.
The June 16 rally was organised by the provincial government's Youth
Commission at KwaMashu's Princess Magogo Stadium, which was full, said
Mtholephi Mthimkhulu, Chief Whip of the KZN Legislature and ANC spokesman.
Pleas for the crowd to calm down during Ndebele's speech restored order
temporarily, allowing Ndebele to conclude.
However, the mood of the disruptive element was angry, with missiles of
empty plastic containers and fruit being thrown at police.
The anger was not directed not at anybody in particular but appeared to be
a reaction to Zuma's dismissal, a source said.
By early afternoon the
speeches were over and were followed by cultural events which proceeded
smoothly, Mthimkhulu said.
He stressed that the disruptive behaviour of the group of young people did
not paralyse the rally, which went "fairly well".
He confirmed that missiles
were thrown at police but said he was not aware of stones being thrown
outside the stadium.