Alex quiet after flare-up over dumped ballot boxes
THE police saturated parts of Alexandra township after two days of violent protests sparked by allegations of vote rigging.
By late yesterday, only the cars carefully navigating burntout debris and rubble remained as reminders of the action the night before.
On Friday night, the military, police and Johannesburg metro police were called in to disperse groups of protesters, many of them coming from the Madala men’s hostel along 6th Avenue, a traditional Inkatha Freedom Party stronghold.
During the elections on Wednesday, rumours started that ANC councillor Chris Mabunda had handled ballot boxes and that Economic Freedom Fighters and IFP ballots were being dumped.
Alexandra residents who set fire to a voting station were arrested. Residents who demanded their release then continued protesting. They blockaded roads in the township and looted foreign-owned shops.
“As a councillor I never even touched a ballot box,” said Mabunda. He claimed opposition parties angry at the preliminary results had mobilised the hostel dwellers to cause trouble. During the violence, Somali and Ethiopian shop owners were forced to flee as an angry mob looted their stores and set fire to spaza shops.
Yesterday afternoon, two Ethiopian shop owners opposite the Madala hostel were hurriedly packing their remaining stock into a truck.
“Two Somalis up the road had to hide in their freezer when they came. I hear they will fight until Monday,” said one Ethiopian shop owner, who did not want to be identified.
Across from them, the crum- bling facebrick Madala hostel loomed ominously. Rubbish was strewn across the length of the building.
Residents from the hostels and shacks walked their dogs, did their washing or tucked into meals at the numerous outdoor eateries, right next to the litter and debris from the previous two nights.
ANC supporters in Alexandra were to be bused into the Johannesburg CBD for its victory celebration and were expected to continue the festivities in the township.