Ekurhuleni metro police have pleaded that self-defence was behind their shooting of live ammunition at an illegal drag race in Duduza where a teenager died on Sunday afternoon.
However, the family of Sipho Twala is demanding justice, claiming the metro police used excessive force.
”This goes to show these people are very much unruly,” a spokesperson for the family told the South African Broadcasting Corporation.
He said 22 spent cartridges were found on the scene — nine of them from R5 rifles. ”Justice needs to be done.”
Metro police spokesperson Vusi Mabanga said the officers opened fire only when the crowd shot at them, stoned them and pelted them with beer bottles.
Metro police were called out to the scene by a resident who complained, he said.
”On arrival, it was found that a child bystander had been knocked down and injured by one of the drivers who was spinning his car.”
When some of the drivers ignored metro police instructions to stop racing, they decided to arrest one of the drivers, who was drunk — to violent reactions from the crowd.
”They started throwing stones and beer bottles at the officers and emergency personnel attending to the injured child, said Mabanga.
”A metro officer was injured as a result,” he said.
When shots were fired at the metro police, they returned fire ”in self defence”.
”Emergency personnel had to abandon their damaged ambulance because of the shooting.”
Mabanga, who earlier denied metro police involvement in the shooting, said six ”marked” metro police vehicles were damaged during the incident.
Confirming that a teenager died in the shooting, East Rand police spokesperson Captain Jethro Mtshali said the matter was still being investigated.
Seven other people were treated for minor injuries. — Sapa