Battlefield Joburg: traders targetted
January 13 2012 at 11:45am
INLSA
IN CHARGE: A large
crowd scatter after police threw a stun grenade into a group of onlookers after
foreign traders shops were raided in central Joburg and surrounding areas by
the police and military. The fire brigade broke open some shops using angle
grinders and crowbars. Pictures: Adrian de Kock
Yusuf Omar
A TAXI driver was dragged into a puddle
and ordered to swim because he laughed at a police officer. A woman was
pepper-sprayed and beaten with a stick because she wanted to close her shop.
And a human rights worker had his phone confiscated and was arrested for taking
photographs of a soldier beating a shopkeeper with the butt of his R4 assault
rifle.
Parts of Joburg resembled a war zone
yesterday as the SA National Defence Force, the SAPS Tactical Response Team and
customs officials took part in Operation Festive Season for a second day.
Two army Rooikat trucks stood at both
ends of Delvers Street as officers focused their efforts on counterfeit
clothing, and shopowners looked on helplessly as their stores were raided and
their goods confiscated.
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