Category Archives: Independent Online

IOL: eNews journo arrested in Durban

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20100323201503322C505004

eNews journo arrested in Durban
March 23 2010 at 08:16PM

An eNews journalist was arrested in Durban on Tuesday while covering a protest by nurses employed by the city council, the channel said.

“eNews will lodge an official complaint of wrongful arrest with eThekwini authorities following the arrest of reporter Morgan Collins,” group news head Patrick Conroy said in a statement.

Collins was reportedly standing on a sidewalk when metro police gave him “five seconds” to leave.

“eNews is concerned that metro police officers did not show due regard for the law or the rights of journalists covering events in the public interest. The detention of Morgan Collins was unnecessary, unreasonable and unacceptable in a democratic South Africa.”

Collins was later released on a warning.

Ethekwini Metro police Superintendent Joyce Khuzwayo said Collins refused to leave the site of an illegal gathering.

“The nurses and council workers were given an order to leave the premises before the TV crew arrived because their protest was illegal, but they resisted.

“When the journalist arrived, he was told that this was an illegal gathering and ordered to leave, as the rest of the protesters were.”

When Collins refused he was arrested with the protesters.

Democratic Alliance spokesman Heinz de Boer said the detention of a journalist was part of an extensive history by both metro police and the SAPS of detaining, harassing and threatening journalists and photographers.

“We will not allow them to act unlawfully by making up the rules as they go. Citizens of this country and the media are subject to the laws of the country, but the police equally need to act within these laws.” – Sapa

IOL: Residents fight against City of Cape Town

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20090525053738648C865727

Residents fight against City of Cape Town

May 25 2009 at 07:32AM

The Abahlali baseMjondolo organisation in the Western Cape said early Monday morning that it would be approaching the Cape High Court for an urgent interdict against alleged “unlawful and criminal evictions.

The organisation said in a statement that they would apply for the interdict late on Monday morning to prevent alleged unlawful evictions in the Macassar village by the City of Cape Town.

“Macassar Village back-yarders have been made homeless by the extremely high rents that they are charged to erect shacks in other people’s backyards.”

The organisation also said for the past week, homeless residents occupied an empty piece of land owned by the City of Cape Town with the intention of apparently housing them and their families.

“Land is the building block of any healthy and sustainable community. We are merely fighting for our own livelihoods which have been denied to us by past governments and this current government,” it said. – Sapa

IOL: Protesters refuse to vote

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http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=3086&art_id=nw20090422075128792C870279

Protesters refuse to vote

April 22 2009 at 07:55AM

By Anna Cox

A group of about 300 protesters gathered at River Park in Alexandra before dawn this morning. They are all residents of a nearby squatter camp, and embarked on a protest against a lack of housing.
The toyi-toying crowd stood on an embankment on London Road, chanting “No house, no vote”.

Community leader Thabo Modisan said people were not happy about the election and refused to vote until they got houses.

“We have been waiting since 1994 and we are still living in shacks. We were promised basic services and have not received them, and that is why we are boycotting the election,” he said.

Police, while stationed a distance away, were observing and ensuring that the peaceful protest did not get out of hand.

The Johannesburg College of Education’s Alexandra campus, one of the polling stations, has not opened on time.

IOL: Orange Farm residents barricade road

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http://www.int.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20080512154233670C917910

May 12 2008 at 03:47PM

Police fired rubber bullets on Monday to break up an illegal service delivery protest by Orange Farm residents.

“Today (Monday) at about 4.30am residents from Orange Farm started to barricade the Golden Highway road,” said police spokesperson Nthabiseng Mazibuko.

The about 400 protestors dispersed about 10.20am after being addressed by ward councillors from the area.

“The situation right now is calm. Earlier they were barricading the road with huge stones, poles and burning tyres,” she said.

Police informed the residents that their gathering was unlawful and they needed to disperse.

“Residents refused and started to throw stones at the police. Police responded by using rubber bullets to disperse residents.”

Five people including a ten-year-old sustained minor injuries from the bullets.

Two women aged about 40 were arrested and would be charged with holding an unlawful gathering and failure to disperse when instructed, said Mazibuko.

Ward councillors addressed residents after which residents dispersed. – Sapa

IOL: Cop stoned during protest in Durban

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Cop stoned during protest in Durban

March 11 2008 at 08:45AM

A police officer was stoned during a protest at Durban’s Klaarwater township, police said on Tuesday.

Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said the officer had been monitoring a residents’ protest near Mariannhill on Monday when he was stoned.

“He sustained severe head injuries and is in hospital,” he said.

Mdunge said twelve protesters were arrested for public violence.

Earlier in the day, at least 500 residents used scrap cars, fridges and burning tyres to barricade several streets leading into the township.

The residents demanded that an African National Congress ward councillor leave his office and move out of the area as he had “not kept his word on service delivery.”

Mdunge said the crowd marched to an ANC office and demanded that the ward councillor leave.

There had been reports that those protesting were unhappy ANC supporters, who had voted ANC member Talent Hlongwa into office.

ANC regional secretary John Mchunu said 6 000 people had voted for the ANC in that ward.

“If only 500 are protesting, they are the minority. Where are the 5 500 other voters?”

He said only the majority could remove the ward councillor from office, not the minority.

No other injuries were reported. – Sapa

http://www.themercury.co.za/index.php?fSectionId=&fArticleId=nw20080310095921511C324750

Protesters barricade Durban township

10 March 2008, 10:18

Scrap cars, fridges and burning tyres were used to barricade several Durban roads on Monday as about 500 residents demanded that a local ward councillor leave the area.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said the residents had barricaded all entry and exit points into the Klaarwater area in Mariannhill from 6am.

“They blocked the roads and prevented taxis from entering and leaving the township,” he said.

Mdunge said the crowd then marched to an African National Congress office and demanded that the ward councillor leave his office and move out of the area.

“They claimed he was unable to deliver services,” Mdunge said.

Dozens of police officers were deployed to the scene but no arrests have been made yet.

No injuries were reported. – Sapa