Thirty three people have been killed in three days of vicious fighting between police and residents of Port Elizabeth’s northeast townships, the worst political violence ever experiÂenced in the area. Among the dead is a baby who was shot dead on its mother’s lap in Helen vale. The number of people wounded is not yet known, but the casualty department of the local Livingstone Hospital is reported to resemble a ”war zone”.
Last night more deaths were expectÂed in the strife-torn townships while riÂoting and looting continued despite calls from the African National ConÂgress for peace. Sapa quoted a police liaison officer in Port Elizabeth saying 33 people had died by last night.
Major Bill Dennis said it was not posÂsible to say how many died as a result of police action or from retaliation by shopkeepers protecting their property. He confirmed that at least 18 of the deaths were due to gunshot wounds. · ”A lot of businessmen guarded their property during Wednesday night and fired like mad at looters throughout the night. It is not known yet how many people were killed in this manner, and how many were wounded.”
A representative for the Lutheran church’s field hospital said volunteers had treated 30 people by 4pm ThursÂday. ”We’re seeing birdshot, buck shot and injuries from live ammunition. The problem is that live ammunition is being used by the SAP and civilians. The situation is bad. There’s virtual anarchy in the town ships.” The Northern Areas were cut off from the rest of the city by roadblocks at all entrances, and there were further roadblock s of burning tyres and boulÂders on almost every major road. The city’s industry was hard hit by the violence, which left thousand s of workers unable to get to work.
ProÂduction at Delta Motor Corporation was virtually stopped because most of the 2 700 workers were unable to get to work. The ANC-aligned Northern Areas Co-ordinating Committee was holding mass rallies in the township in an attempt to defuse the situation, and there were reports of bakkies festooned with ANC banner s touring the areas to apÂpeal for calm through loudhailers. Millions of rands worth of damage have been caused as crowds of looters swept through shopping areas, clearing out shops and setting them alight. The last shop in the township of Gelvandale was reportedly torched early yesterday morning.
ANC and community leaders apÂpealed to the people of Port Elizabeth’s northern, so-called ”coloured” areas to halt the looting and burning at a mass meeting attended by some 8 000 resiÂdents in the Gelvandale Stadium yesterday afternoon. All four speakers at the meeting, Cosatu vice-president John Gomomo, top ANC official Raymond Mhlaba, president of the local ANC Gelvandale branch Danny Jordan, and Sayco official Jerry Aldridge, appealed for calm and a return to normality.
“I know that you are angry. But great people, men of high integrity, display their greatness by controlling their tempers,†said Mhlaba. “We have to be careful of bad elements who are using this opportunity to steal from the shops. Your organization is planning and taking full account of what is happening. We are appealing to you to act reasonably under the circumstances.â€
This article originally appeared in the Weekly Mail.
