Calm returns to PE after education protests
Calm was returning to Port Elizabeth’s northern areas after protests erupted on Monday morning, in anger over the alleged closure of schools and a lack of teachers.
Police spokeswoman Brigadier Miranda Mills said that police had to use stun grenades, rubber bullets and water cannons to disperse protesters.
“It has calmed down a lot. The situation is slowly returning to normal. There are negotiations taking place at the moment,” she said.
Mills said that allegations that police had used live ammunition on the protesters was untrue.
“We did not fire any live ammunition. Shots [of live ammunition] were fired at the police,” she said.
Parents, pupils and even taxi drivers reportedly took part in the protests that erupted on Monday morning, with protesters also complaining about a lack of infrastructure at the schools, apart from the closures and a lack of teachers.
ANA