AFRICAN NATIVES RIOT

Press, Volume LXXXVI, Issue 26039, 16 February 1950, Page 5

AFRICAN NATIVES RIOT

Clashes With Police

In Johannesburg

GUNFIRE, LOOTING. AND ARSON (N.Z. Fress. Association—Copyright) (Rec. 11 p.m.) CAPETOWN, Feb. 14. Large-scale rioting and looting broke out in three African townships on the outskirts of Johannesburg to-night The trouble areas included Newclare, which was the centre of disorders yesterday.

Five shops were set on fire in Newclare. \ Africans set up road-blocks to try to stop the fire brigades, but police battled their way in against a barrage of stones.

Throughout all three townships there were hot exchanges of rifle fire, and traffic was stoned. Twelve Europeans were injured by stones, two of them seriously.

Three hundred police raided Newclare early to-day and detained 250 Africans. The raid followed rioting in Newclare last night, when some policemen and Africans were injured. A large section of Newclare’s African population suddenly rose in riot when police, who were checking Africans’ passes, tried to arrest a man. The Africans plunged the streets into darkness and beat on lamp-posts as a signal for the stoning of cars. White drivers and white civilians, armed yrith rifles and revolvers, joined the police in firing on the Africans. A group of Africans storming towards a European residential area retreated when w’hite civilians rushed towards them.

Shooting rang out •in the streets after the rieting had died down.