By Palesa Matlala
- Two people were killed and a third is in hospital following a violent protest in Diepkloof.
- Residents say they took food that fell off a speeding truck, but police later seized it.
Police and Crime Prevention Wardens searched a hostel in Diepkloof after a deadly protest left two people dead and one in hospital.
A truck carrying meat and canned food was looted and later set alight on Monday. Police believe the driver lost his GPS signal and ended up driving into the area.
As he sped through the hostel, items began falling from the back of the truck. Community members then rushed to grab the goods.
Vusi Bangu, 34, said he joined in to get meat for dinner and to help him get through the next few days.
“I am unemployed and all I wanted was food. We didn’t ambush or hijack the truck. The driver was driving within the hostel and we saw his load falling,” said Bangu.
He insisted no one went after the driver, only the food.
Zimkitha Miya, a 27-year-old mother of three, said she had run out of her Sassa money and had nothing to feed her children that night.
When police raided her unit, they confiscated the meat.
“I know that what I did was wrong, but I just wanted to feed my children until the next Sassa pay date. Things have become so hard that such incidents help us to get food for our families,” she said.
She also criticised the police for throwing the food away instead of letting people keep it.
“Police have confiscated the food that they will throw away. They could as well have just given us to cook for our children,” she said.
While some residents allowed police to search their homes, others resisted before eventually giving in.
Gauteng police spokesperson Lieutenant Colonel Mavela Mosondo confirmed the two deaths and said the third person was still in hospital.
Pictured above: Gauteng police officials raid the Diepkloof hostel
Image source: Palesa Matlala
