Reservists' protest turns violent

JOHANNESBURG, SOUTH AFRICA - Feb 08 2010 15:52

A protest by disgruntled police reservists briefly turned violent in Johannesburg on Monday when police fired rubber bullets.

The reservists failed to obey an instruction to disperse, Johannesburg metro police spokeswoman Inspector Edna Mamonyane said.

Some of them were arrested for participating in an illegal march.

"As the metro police, we did not issue a permit for the march. The march is illegal", Mamonyane said.

Independent Online reported that ANC MP Winnie Madikizela-Mandela had to defuse the tension between protesters and police officers.

Reservists from around the country gathered at the Library Gardens in the CBD in the morning.

"We want unconditional integration into the police," Dumisani Mvula, the Free State spokesperson for police reservists.

"People see us in uniform and think all is well, while our lives are being frustrated by promise after promise that we will be integrated, and nothing has come forth."

The reservists want to be integrated unconditionally because some of them had over 18 years' experience and could not understand why they did not qualify.

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"The police have embarked on a recruitment drive for retired police officers, but could not consider us for recruitment. Surely retired members are older than us?"

The reservists handed a memorandum to the Provincial Minister of Community Safety Gauteng, Khabisi Mosunkutu. In the document they claimed they had been working without pay for years and were overlooked when permanent vacancies became available.

Mvula later said the reservists were singing peacefully in the morning when the police ordered them to disperse.

"Without provocation they opened fire on us, injuring some of our members and detaining them while they were still bleeding from the wounds."

He said two trucks took their members to Johannesburg central police station. Others were unaccounted for because they ran away when they were shot at.

By 4pm, a few hundred protesters were still milling around, waiting for their executive committee to inform them of developments. -- Sapa

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