Violence continues in Soweto after 26 die, 220 hurt

Press, 18 June 1976, Page 1

Violence continues in Soweto after 26 die, 220 hurt

NZPA-Reuter Johannesburg Twenty-six people w'ere killed and at least 220 injured in riots in the black township of Soweto near Johannesburg on Wednesday anti yesterday.

Colonel J. J. Gerber, divisiontl police inspector for Soweto, said 24 blacks and two whites died in the rioting, which began early on Wednesday. A total of 126 people have been arrested so far.

Later yesterday the teeming African township erupted into new violence as black protesters began burning buildings and stoning cars, Agence FrancePresse reported. Colonel Gerber reported that violence was taking place all over the Soweto complex, where between 800.000 and Im blacks live.

About 1000 policemen armed with sten guns and machine-pistols were massed around Soweto which is about 19 kilometres south-west of Johannesburg.

Soweto featured in the New Zealand television documentary “Seven Days” last Sunday night.

Police told whites that they might be killed if they ignored warnings to stay away from Soweto, but thousands of blacks streamed into •‘white” Johannesburg from the township to start work as

usual yesterday morning

The trouble started during a demonstration by about 10,000 students protesting against being forced to learn the white man’s language, Afrikaans. According to a black news reporter on the scene, the violence started when a white policeman threw a tear-gas canister into the chanting crowd. The chanting turned to stone-throwing and cries of abuse and the police fired warning shots into the air. A police spokesman said

the crowd then began advancing and it became necessary to fire on the rioters. At least eight people were killed in shooting and day-time riots. The violence spread in the evening after workers returned to Soweto. Gunfire echoed throughout the night around the township of box-like brick houses. Blacks laid seige to several police stations, set fire to Government buildings, and looted Staterun liquor stores.

The rioters attacked vehicles indiscriminately, and the authorities ordered ambulances and fire engines to stay away after several had been stoned. The streets, normally dark at night because Soweto has virtually no electricity supply, were lit up from the buildings set ablaze by the rioters. Reinforcements and a special riot squad moved into the area.