The Vaal Uprising of 1984 and the Struggle for Freedom in South Africa [ePUB] by Franziska Rueedi

Author:Franziska Rueedi
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: James Currey
Published: 2021-04-16T00:00:00+00:00

‘The most violent unrest’: Narratives of the Riot Squad

According to police, complaints that stones and broken windscreen glass were obstructing the Golden Highway (the main road leading out of Vanderbijlpark) began pouring in during the evening of 2 September. In contrast to Sebokeng, Bophelong was only separated by a road from neighbouring Vanderbijlpark and its proximity undoubtedly exacerbated fears of violence spilling over into town. Officer Bruyns alleged that upon arrival in Bophelong, he found the road obstructed and skirmishes between police and small groups of youth ensued. By the end of the evening, the offices of the development board, a bottle store, a beerhall and several houses had been stoned and set alight. Schlebusch, one of the OVDB’s inspectors, allegedly fired into the crowd after being attacked with petrol bombs and stones.89

Shortly before midnight, Colonel Viljoen arrived with reinforcements from Roodepoort and Krugersdorp, the regional headquarters of the riot police in the West Rand. Viljoen was no newcomer to situations of political protest and public disorder. By the time violence began in the townships of the Vaal Triangle, he had served in the South African Police Force for 25 years. He had also been stationed as a major at Jabulani police station in Soweto during the uprising in 1976 and had become the head of the West Rand riot police in 1980.90 Little is known about Colonel Viljoen, other than his professional background. But what is clear is that he gained notoriety for his encouragement and use of gratuitous violence against protestors and during funerals. Undoubtedly, his iron-fisted approach exacerbated the already volatile situation and added further fuel to the fire. While Viljoen was called ‘a remarkable peace maker’ in an article in the Sunday Times, extensive evidence demonstrates the opposite.

The contingent of about 200 policemen was divided and dispatched to all townships in the area. Sporadic stoning of the police and their vehicles in Bophelong continued until they left for Sharpeville at 2am in the morning of 3 September. According to Warrant Officer Niemand and Colonel Viljoen, Sebokeng seemed quiet until about 6am, particularly compared to Bophelong, Boipatong and Sharpeville where roadblocks were seen and occasional incidents of stoning occurred throughout the night.91 In Sharpeville, the house of a member of the security branch was set alight.92 Police testimonies claim that the frequency of incidents of stone-throwing, as well as the burning of vehicles and houses, began to pick up from 6am on the 3rd.

In Sharpeville, the main road had been blocked and reports indicate that the police were quickly losing control of the situation. Major Crons, a pilot who flew over Sharpeville at 7.30am, noted that ‘the unrest was much heavier than in other black areas’.93 At around the same time, news reached the police that Councillor Dlamini’s house was being stoned anew. Upon arrival, Viljoen claims that he found Dlamini with a 9mm pistol and tried to convince him to leave his house. Dlamini refused and by the time Viljoen returned, Dlamini was dead.94 In Sebokeng

Download

Copyright Disclaimer:
This site does not store any files on its server. We only index and link to content provided by other sites. Please contact the content providers to delete copyright contents if any and email us, we'll remove relevant links or contents immediately.