Police in KwaZulu-Natal are hunting down the protectors of IFP Newcastle mayor Xolani Dube, who allegedly fired randomly at protesting Charlestown residents on Wednesday.
It is alleged that residents in ward 1 of the Newcastle local municipality had been staging a service delivery protest along the N11 between Newcastle and Volkrust when the scuffle broke out.
Dube, accompanied by his deputy Musa Thwala of the political formation Team Sugar South Africa, had gone back to the residents to give a feedback on their grievances.
Things came to a head when the residents refused to be addressed by Dube, accusing him of being a liar, resulting in his bodyguards intervening and allegedly firing shots randomly before whisking the mayor away.
Three protesters sustained severe gunshot wounds and were rushed to the hospital. The municipality has a budget of over R8-million reserved for protecting top office bearers.
Local police spokesperson Lizzy Amurugam confirmed the incident.
“Early reports indicate that the Newcastle mayor Xolani Dube was addressing about 500 protesting community members,” said Dube.
“The meeting became heated and the mayor’s bodyguards are alleged to have discharged several shots in their attempts to disperse the agitated crowd.”
It is not for the first time that Dube has been accused of using hostile methods to deal with angry community members.
Follow @SundayWorldZA on Twitter and @sundayworldza on Instagram, or like our Facebook Page, Sunday World, by clicking here for the latest breaking news in South Africa.
