A group of striking South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) members assaulted local businessman Devlin Bosman in New Street on Monday after he enquired as to why the protesters were throwing beer bottles at parked vehicles.
A group of striking South African Municipal Workers Union (SAMWU) members assaulted local businessman Devlin Bosman in New Street on Monday after he enquired as to why the protesters were throwing beer bottles at parked vehicles.
AUDIO EYEWITNESS ACCOUNT:
About 200 SAMWU members took to the streets of Grahamstown chanting liberation songs and strewing litter everywhere, assaulting Bosman with a beer bottle, knobkerries and vuvuzelas, said an eyewitness.
“He asked them why they were throwing bottles at cars. No-one answered him; these guys just started beating him. One of them hit him with a beer bottle on the head,” said the eyewitness.
Another witness, who identified herself as Tembisa, said: “I heard the commotion outside; when I got to the door the striking guys were assaulting the victim. I ran towards him because I wanted to pull him into the shop before they could beat him to death. When I reached him, more members started approaching me, and I decided to run away because they would have assaulted me as well.”
Tembisa said Bosman collapsed near the entrance of Curves gym. He was taken to Settler’s Hospital soon thereafter.
Makana Executive Mayor Vumile Lwana condemned the violence. “It’s bad – any act of violence must be condemned. It is something we cannot afford. Why do people have to always be violent and can’t talk things over, it’s something that is uncalled for.”
Meanwhile some businesspeople based in New Street cleaned up some of the litter after the march had passed by. Staff from Albany Business Machines, the Rat and Parrot, the President’s Award and the French Quarter cleaned up the trash and took it to the municipal dumpsite themselves.
Grocott’s Mail also came across some medical waste scattered on the street including bloodied bandages, syringes, tongue depressors and drip feed containers.
