2 killed in violent Hammanskraal protest

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schumi

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Pretoria - At least two people were killed during violent protests in Hammanskraal on Monday.

"Two people are dead and six injured. There are no arrests at this stage," Tshwane Metro Police spokesperson Senior Superintendent Isaac Mahamba said.

He could not, however, confirm reports that the death toll was between six and nine. Sources in the area said more than two people were killed.

A source told News24 that the clashes started when the so-called Red Ants, a security company that executes eviction notices, arrived.

"Red Ants were sent to evict people occupying land in Dilopye, but the residents were not having it. They started clashing with them, resulting in all of the violence," said the source.

Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa condemned the protest and said he was concerned by the violence, loss of property, and human rights violations when evictions were carried out.

Even “ungovernable citizens” should be treated with respect rather than punished, he said.

He said government and the Red Ants had recently agreed to ensure that all future evictions respected the rights of residents, especially the elderly, women, children, and the disabled.

He criticised "some political parties" for inciting vulnerable groups to defy court orders.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/2-killed-in-violent-hammanskraal-protest-20160523
 
I will have sleepless nights for a while - Hammanskraal teen

Pretoria – A Hammanskraal teenager said he was traumatised by the sight of two corpses and the violence that followed an eviction in the area on Monday.

“I was very scared. The one body that I saw looked burnt and the other was badly beaten. It was very traumatising. I will have sleepless nights for a while,” said the 17-year-old, who did not want to be named.

He was about to board a bus in the morning when the violence broke out.

“I was going to take a bus and suddenly a man very harshly told the driver to turn around because it was about to get more violent. I saw some of the violence, but I went home early.”

He said nobody should have to see such extreme violence.Buses were set alight and cars stoned as locals protested over the removal of illegally erected shacks near the Jubilee Mall, police spokesperson Constable Herman Moremi said.

The area was on “total lockdown” and “on fire”, said residents, who did not want to be named.

Police spokesperson Captain Tsekiso Mofokeng confirmed that two people were killed and several others injured. He appealed to the injured to report what had happened.

Tshwane mayor Kgosientso Ramokgopa said he was concerned by the violence, loss of property, and human rights violations when evictions were carried out.

Even “ungovernable citizens” should be treated with respect rather than punished, he said.

He criticised "some political parties" for inciting vulnerable groups to defy court orders.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/2-killed-in-violent-hammanskraal-protest-20160523
 
I've never been this scared - News24 reporter at Hammanskraal protest

Pretoria - A journalist covering protests in Hammanskraal was robbed at gunpoint on Tuesday morning as tensions in the area continue to mount.

News24 reporter Karabo Ngoepe said that there is a tangible air of fear in the township where on Monday two members of the Red Ants were killed during protests over evictions.

"I have never been this scared, today I thought I was going to die," he said.

Ngoepe said he and a group of reporters had been standing near a burning barricade which had been erected to block the road when the incident happened.

"A journalist from Power FM attempted to take a picture of a discarded car bonnet on the side of the road when out of the blue these two guys appear," Ngoepe said.

"It looked like they were drunk and then one guy pulls out a gun and points it at the journalist. They took his recorder and his cellphone and were telling all the reporters to fokof."

"They were telling us all to fokof. Some community members then came and intervened and managed to get back the recorder and cellphone and returned it to the journalist," he said.

Ngoepe said the confrontation had left the journalists feeling unsafe, making their jobs that much more challenging.

"It now becomes difficult for us to move around because this guy is somewhere in the township and we are worried he may start shooting."

Link:http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...s24-reporter-at-hammanskraal-protest-20160524
 
Hammanskraal protesters reject claim of EFF influence

Pretoria - Protesting residents in Hammanskraal have rejected the South African National Civic Organisation's (Sanco) claim that the EFF is to blame for illegal land occupation.

The organisation's spokesperson, Jabu Mahlangu, put the blame for the violence on the EFF and accused the party of encouraging the illegal occupation of land.

"The Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) must take responsibility for encouraging illegal occupation of land, subsequent violent confrontation and loss of lives," said Mahlangu on Monday.

Residents have hit back saying this is not the case.

"There is no EFF influence here. There is no one wearing any political shirt or affiliated to the EFF," said one resident who asked not to be named.

"The reason things are like this is because government is failing to deliver. If EFF is behind this, did they call the Red Ants on us? We want Sanco to explain that to us maybe we can understand," said the resident, adding that the ward was ANC-controlled and the EFF had no power there.

Another resident said they were put on the land by members of the ANC in the area. He questioned why they were now trying to put the blame on someone else.

"This is just a strategy for them to win votes. They must not blame someone else for their actions," he said.

Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...esters-reject-claim-of-eff-influence-20160524
 
Even “ungovernable citizens” should be treated with respect rather than punished, he said.
Click to expand...

fukk right off, Ramokgopa

Lawlessness should not be tolerated.
 
The Tshwane mayor is too pre-occupied with attempts at renaming streets and districts to really care about what is happening in Hammanskraal, or how it got to this point.
 
Those photos that I have seen on Facebook of the burned bodies are just sickening and heart-breaking!
That is somebody's family member. What kind of heartless piece of filth kills and burns another human being - for just doing his job?
 
The security company says the two men who were murdered are not employed by the company.
Click to expand...

That's weird, and they didn't have red uniforms on. They were green overalls.
I wonder where they came from?
 
'It's painful what they did to me' - evicted Hammanskraal resident

Pretoria - An unemployed man living in Kanana, Hammanskraal has shared his hopelessness following the demolishing of his shack.

Daniel Mulaudzi, 53, said security company Red Ants came to their area on Monday and demolished houses.

"They were wearing blue overalls. We thought they wouldn't do anything as we are legal here. They started shooting at us and demolished our shacks. We were standing and not doing anything," he said.

Sitting on a couch where his shack once was, he told of the pain he felt as he watched people tear down his home and make off with some of his belongings. Mulaudzi said he was unemployed and did not know how he would rebuild his life.

Slept in the cold

"It's painful what they did to me. I don't even have corrugated steel to even rebuild. I'm unemployed and don't know what I will do to rebuild. I slept out in the cold because we have nowhere to go. They must return our material. They even took things from our bags. Clothes, money even our ID books were taken," he said.

Mulaudzi told of how he and his family spent the night out in the open. Apart from his building material having been taken, he is now gripped by fear of losing his furniture to theft.

"We sat in front of a fire the entire night to keep warm because if we leave they will take our belongings. We have been living here for 5 months. They said it was legal for people to live here, which is when we moved in. We were surprised to see them removing us," he said.

Many parts of the township are still no go area with roads barricaded with debris. Police are keeping an eye on the situation while a small group has marched to the local council offices in Temba.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...-to-me-evicted-hammanskraal-resident-20160524
 
EFF backs protesting Hammaskral residents

Johannesburg - The EFF on Tuesday said it supported Hammanskraal residents’ resistance to their eviction from land in the area.

The City of Tshwane should “retreat” and to provide them with housing and basic services, the party said in a statement.

Evictions were the sign of an uncaring, violent and an abusive government.

"In a country of high levels of destitution, landlessness and homelessness, it is unacceptable that a democratic government would employ the same tactics of forced removals as an illegitimate regime like apartheid," it added.

The EFF blamed Tshwane's leadership for allowing the situation to escalate and become violent. It should have found a better, human, way to resolve the problem.

Landlessness was a serious problem, particularly in Hammanskraal.

Two members of the Red Ants, a security company, were killed when residents tried to prevent them from carrying out an eviction order in Sekampangeng, a township in Hammanskraal.

The land was apparently owned by a tribal chief, who had been trying since 2014 to get them off the property.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/eff-backs-protesting-hammanskraal-residents-20160524
 
The EFF on Tuesday said it supported Hammanskraal residents’ resistance to their eviction from land in the area.
Click to expand...

So if you're violent and kill two people you get what you want.

The land was apparently owned by a tribal chief, who had been trying since 2014 to get them off the property.
Click to expand...

Interesting...
 
Hammaskraal residents chase journalists away

Pretoria - Journalists covering unrest in Hammanskraal have become targets of the community's anger, with one reporter stripped of her notebook and chased away from the area on Wednesday.

News24 reporter Karabo Ngoepe said that many reporters had been ejected from the area by angry residents.

"As we were driving into the area, we were met by journalists getting out. They advised us that they had been chased away by the residents."

"A reporter from Times had her notepad torn by the angry community members. They told reporters that they are dangerous and get people into trouble with the law," he said.

The community had also accused reporters of writing lies about them.

"We all drove out of the area and went to park in front of the municipal offices. Journalists are not feeling safe anymore," he added.

On Tuesday a man pulled a gun on a reporter before taking his cellphone and recorder. Community members intervened however and were able to return the reporter's belongings.

Violence flared in the township after City of Tshwane and security personnel attempted to evict those occupying land illegally. Two security guards were killed in clashes with protesters.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/hammaskraal-residents-chase-journalists-away-20160525
 
ANC 'hijacked' Hammanskraal land - DA mayoral candidate

Pretoria – ANC officials had “hijacked” land in Hammanskraal, DA mayoral candidate in Tshwane, Solly Msimanga, said on Wednesday.

“It's unfortunate that the land that was earmarked for development was hijacked by ANC officials who then sold it to people at a price,” he told reporters.

The City of Tshwane needed to conduct a land audit to determine how much was available to provide space for people to live.

Msimanga was in the township for a prayer service after violence broke out in the township on Monday.

Employees of the Red Ants security company, SAPS and Tshwane Metro Police arrived to flatten people’s shacks and evict them.

Two Red Ants employees were killed and six injured in an altercation with the residents. Five people were arrested, one of them for murder.

Residents on Tuesday held a meeting with Temba police. An agreement was allegedly reached to halt evictions until all the affected parties had had a chance to meet.

Residents had told reporters that a ward councillor and a local chief had given them permission to occupy three pieces of land, something Msimanga said he had heard.

"It's a situation that has gone too far. We need to find a lasting solution. Officials and councillors must be held responsible for this," he said.

Harsh punishment

The ANC meanwhile said it would take the “harshest” disciplinary action against one of its councillors who was allegedly leading the protests in the area.

He had allegedly sold stands to residents, spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said.

"We think that is not the kind of councillor or leader of the ANC we want. We are considering taking the harshest decision ever against him because he has put the name of the organisation into disrepute," he told News24.

Kodwa said they expected many similar protests ahead of the August 3 local government elections because some councillors wanted to cling to power.

"When you lead you have to accept that there is going to be time to go and you can’t use communities to disrupt things. People die because of one individual who is misleading," he said.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/anc-hijacked-hammanskraal-land-da-20160525
 
ANC mulling 'harshest action' against Hammanskraal councillor

Johannesburg - The ANC is considering the “harshest” disciplinary action against one of its councillors in Hammanskraal, who is said to be leading the violent protests in the area.

He was allegedly stoking the protests because he sold plots of land to people in the area, spokesperson Zizi Kodwa said on Wednesday.

"We think that that is not the kind of councillor or leader of the ANC we want. We are considering the harshest decision ever against him because he has put the name of the organisation into disrepute," he told News24.Kodwa said there would be many more similar protests ahead of the August 3 local government elections as some councillors did not want to vacate office.

"When you lead, you have to accept that there is going to be time to go and you can't use communities to disrupt things. People die because of one individual who is misleading."

Violence broke out in the township on Monday, when employees of the Red Ants security company, the SA Police Service and Tshwane Metro Police arrived to demolish their shacks and evict them.

Two Red Ants employees were reportedly killed and six injured in an altercation with the residents. Five people were arrested, one of them for murder.

Residents on Tuesday held a meeting with Temba police, where an agreement was reached to stop evictions in the area. This was until all parties to the dispute over the land had had a chance to meet.

News24
Link: http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/N...tion-against-hammanskraal-councillor-20160525
 
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