SOUTH AFRICA: Protests against Johannesburg integration with other province turn violent

Record ID: 454556

  • Title: SOUTH AFRICA: Protests against Johannesburg integration with other province turn violent
  • Date: 20th September 2007
  • Summary: (W3) JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA (SEPTEMBER 20, 2007) (REUTERS) VARIOUS PROTESTERS LED BY POLICE VEHICLES POLICE STANDING BY WITH GUNS POLICE WATCHING ON VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS BURNING TYRES POLICE SHOOTING AT PROTESTERS PROTESTERS RUNNING AWAY PROTEST LEADERS CALLING ON PROTESTERS TO STOP MORE OF POLICE SHOOTING VARIOUS OF PROTESTERS SINGING
  • Embargoed: 5th October 2007 13:00
  • Keywords:
  • Location: South Africa
  • Country: South Africa
  • Topics: Police,Domestic Politics
  • Reuters ID: LVAEMKIFPWA33IOWRNC4B2QDYMA9
  • Story Text: Protests turned violent outside the Constitutional Court in Johannesburg on Thursday (September 20), after police opened fire on protesters.
    In a last attempt to again be incorporated into the Gauteng province, Khutsong residents took their case to the Constitutional Court where the court heard an application by the Merafong Demarcation Forum and 10 others in which they ask the court that the Constitution's Twelfth Amendment Act, which transferred Merafong Municipality, under which Khutsong falls, to the North West, be declared unconstitutional.
    Residents have accused the government of failing to engage the public before considering and approving the amendment.
    Their application is being opposed by President Thabo Mbeki and other high ranking government politicians.
    Hundreds of protesters started arriving early to continue their campaign outside the court.
    Police had cordoned off all the streets around the court building, and also had backup in the form of a crowd control water cannon outside.
    There was violence when some of the protesters tried to rob street vendors.
    Protesters threw rocks at the police who then responded with rubber bullets.
    The residents of Khutsong have previously launched violent protests, objecting to the transfer from wealthy Gauteng to the poorer North West.
    These included petrol bombing the homes of African National Congress (ANC) candidates and destroying municipal property.
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