Africa News

Police fire rubber bullets in South African hospital

Jul 29, 2009, 13:48 GMT

Johannesburg - South African police said Wednesday they had fired rubber bullets into a hospital in eastern Mpumalanga province, injuring several nurses and a pregnant woman, according to the hospital authorities. A police spokesman told SAfm public radio that officers had fired into the hospital near the town of Lydenburg after coming under attack from stone-throwing protestors inside. A spokesman for the hospital accused the police of using excessive force and said the police had fired indiscriminately into the hospital. It was not clear whether the protest took place in the context of the current municipal workers' strike or was part of a series of ongoing protests over living conditions in poor communities. The police were not immediately available to provide further details. South Africa has been beset by protests in recent weeks. Slumdwellers in several provinces have demonstrated for better public services, while municipal workers demonstrated in several cities for a third day running Wednesday to press their demands for better pay. At the same time, chemical sector workers announced an end to their eight-day strike after receiving pay increases of between 9 and 10 per cent. The municipal workers are demanding a 15-per-cent pay increase. The municipalities are offering them 13 per cent.

Africa News

Police fire rubber bullets in South African hospital

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