Man shot, wounded during violent Durban protests
A man in his thirties is in a serious condition after he was shot in the stomach during violent protests in Briardene, Durban, on Monday morning.
Marshall Security medics and Netcare911 paramedics treated him at the roadside while police protected them. Officers used stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the crowd.
The situation on North Coast Road remained tense and the reason for the shooting was unclear.
People who were not nominated as councillors by their political parties were apparently behind the civil unrest that blocked major routes in Durban.
A group of people attacked a 61-year-old man who was on his way to work in the morning. Bonginkosi Shange, who had a gash in his forehead, said the group stole his cellphone.
Pupils from nearby Parkhill Secondary School were in the area. One teacher, who did not want to be named, told News24 that the school had not officially been closed.
"Some parents who were bringing their children turned back, while with those children who managed to get to school, some of their parents had come to pick them up. But school hasn't officially closed, the teachers are still here."
eThekwini Metro Police spokesperson Superintendent Sbonelo Mchunu said earlier that several groups of people “made serious attempts” to close the N2, the Umgeni Connaught Interchange, and the M19.
They blocked roads with burning barricades and hurled stones at passing cars.
Mchunu said metro police and police officers dispersed the groups. He described the situation as “tense but clear” and people were able to pass through the area, with the police’s help.
“We think that the people are being incited by individuals who were not nominated as councillors for their respective political parties. We are dealing with them,” he said.
Marshall Security spokesperson Kyle van Reenen said protesters had blocked large sections of North Coast Road.
He advised motorists to stay clear of the area.
(File photo: Gallo Images)