ANC stood Folweni residents up
ANC leaders were a no-show at a community meeting in Folweni to try and bring an end to violent protests there.
About 1-thousand-500 locals gathered at a sports ground waiting to be addressed by the regional leadership of the party - over their demand that the top councillor candidate for the area be replaced by their preferred candidate.
Some of residents say they arrived in the morning for the address that had been scheduled to start at around noon.
An elderly woman has told Newswatch she walked at least eight kilometres today to be at the meeting after sustaining rubber bullet wounds fired by police yesterday.
"This means we are basically wasting our time. I have been shot by rubber bullets so I thought I would get a chance to have my voice heard that, I as an old woman, was shot by police using rubber bullets. Really, the way I see it they (ANC leadership) have wasted our time. We had hoped that today this comes to an end because we are tired of this now. Our children are just sitting at home and not even attending school," she said.
Regional and provincial ANC leaders are unavailable for comment.
Since the protests began schooling has been disrupted in the township, south of Durban.
A Grade 10 boy from Folweni High School says they were told to stay home on Friday for their own safety.
The residents have meanwhile dispersed peacefully, but emotions are still running high with more threats of violence.
(Photo: Anelisa Kubheka)