The Democratic Alliance (DA) and the Inkatha Freedom Party (IFP) will have to account for damage caused during May Day’s march against name changes in Durban.
This is according to eThekwini Municipality’s municipal manager, Michael Sutcliffe, who said on Wednesday that the ”thuggery, looting and criminal behaviour” would be dealt with.
An estimated 10 000 protesters from the two parties converged on the Durban City Hall on Tuesday to object to plans to rename streets after African National Congress (ANC) heroes.
The protests began during the early hours at Umlazi township, south of the city, when name-change protesters barricaded the Mangosuthu Highway with dustbins and burning tyres.
The barricades had been cleared by mid-morning. However, traffic lights in the area were smashed.
Police spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge reported two cases of assault, seven of looting and malicious damage to property.
Cellphones and jewellery were among items looted.
Sutcliffe said: ”Preliminary reports indicate that attempts were made to blockade roads, road signs were broken, informal-trader stalls broken and goods stolen, shops broken into and goods taken, litter bins upturned and many members of the public assaulted.
”Ominously, a high-powered assault rifle with telescopic lenses and with one round already in the chamber was confiscated. The owner remains at large.”
Mdunge said he had heard about a 303 rifle being confiscated but he had been unable to confirm the incident.
”The organisers of the march will pay for wrecking the city in this way. Such thuggery must be condemned in the strongest possible terms.
”Both the IFP and the DA will have to explain to the city and our democratic country why they allowed such lawlessness to occur during what was supposed to be a peaceful march,” said Sutcliffe.
The DA’s eThekwini caucus leader, John Steenhuisen, said: ”The DA is not surprised at the tone and nature of the statement and the vehemence with which Sutcliffe has attacked the DA and the IFP, particularly considering that the city manager is an unashamed lackey of the ANC.”
He said none of the DA’s supporters were involved in any incidents that Sutcliffe referred.
He said: ”The city manager and his ANC administration also need to bear some responsibility for the deep resentment and anger which their insensitive and divisive proposals have unleashed.
”Sutcliffe has failed to follow the procedure mandated by the council and has unilaterally and without consent of council amended the agreed process for consultation.”
He accused Sutcliffe of using the name-change issue ”as a smokescreen to mask the real issues at the heart of the re-naming process and the steep rates hikes that his administration has now passed on to the citizens of our city”.
On Monday, the eThekwini Council approved a R17,4-billion budget that will see rates go by 9,9%, electricity by 7,5% and water up by 15%. Businesses will also pay a 5% surcharge on their electricity consumption.
The proposed name changes have sparked a huge outcry from residents, with the letters pages of Durban’s newspapers filled with letters and SMSs arguing for or against the case for name changes.
One of the more controversial name changes — resulting in numerous letters of objection to local newspapers — has been to rename Kingsway Road in Amanzimtoti Andrew Zondo Road.
Zondo, an Umkhonto weSizwe soldier, aged 19, was executed by the apartheid regime in September 1986 for planting a bomb in a rubbish bin at an Amanzimtoti shopping centre in December 1985.
Five people were killed — two women and three children — while scores more were injured.
Zondo was sentenced to death by hanging by Justice Raymond Leon, father of Steenhuisen’s party leader, Tony Leon. — Sapa