So its perfectly fine for the police to shoot at the poor with rubber bullets, even when protests are entirely peaceful, except when the eyes of the (rich – and white?) world are watching….It is clear who really counts for Willies Mchunu. This is disgraceful.

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fArticleId=5148448

KZN police told to go easy on rubber bullets for crowd control

September 02, 2009 Edition 1

Wendy Jasson da Costa

KwaZulu-Natal police have been warned not to use rubber bullets indiscriminately as it might send the wrong message to the world before the soccer World Cup in South Africa next year.

The warning by the MEC for Transport, Community Safety and Liaison, Willies Mchunu, follows Monday’s clash between two IFP Youth Brigade factions and the police in central Durban.

“The SA Police Service will investigate innovative ways of dealing with public protests and conflict situations other than the indiscriminate use of rubber bullets,” said Mchunu.

Police used rubber bullets to disperse the two groups and a Sunday Times photographer was injured.

Mchunu said pictures of the photographer beamed across the world left a bitter taste in the mouth.

He apologised for the “mishap” and said he wanted to assure the public that the government’s belief in media freedom remained intact.

“Events such as these might send a wrong signal to the fans queuing to come to South Africa for the 2010 Fifa World Cup,” he said. “I appeal to police officers to be cautious in using rubber bullets. Do not do it indiscriminately.”

The conflict between the two IFP factions occurred as the party’s national executive committee held a meeting inside the building. It came after increasing calls within the party for transformation, including a change of leadership.

Yesterday the IFP Women’s Brigade condemned the clash.

“The IFP women wish to distance themselves from every attempt to bypass democratic processes in the party and force a leadership succession against the will of the party’s grassroots supporters,” said Brigade chairwoman Thembi Nzuza.

She said the women’s brigade believed that the rank and file supported IFP president Mangosuthu Buthelezi as “resolutely” as ever.