Belville police hose elderly, disabled grant recipients with water cannons
The situation outside the South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) offices in Cape Town turned violent on Friday afternoon when police hosed recipients queuing outside.
The South African Police Services (SAPS) members followed through with threats to open water cannons on a large group of impoverished, disabled people, many elderly, outside the Bellville offices for allegedly failing to observe social distancing.
Western Cape police spokesperson, Andre Traut, said law enforcement were trying to get a handle of the situation and maintain order.
"Public Order Policing members have been deployed in Bellville to maintain law and order and to ensure that the regulations of the Disaster Management Act are adhered to in term of social distancing," said Traut.
Several videos that have surfaced on social media show a snaking queue outside the office with a heavy police presence patrolling the busy street, shouting instructions to the crowd.
The majority are people with physical and mental disabilities, as well as the elderly.
They've been standing in long queues over the last few days, in a desperate attempt to re-apply for financial assistance.
This after Sassa's temporary disability grant lapsed last month.
