JUST as Alex Mashaba thought a dispute with a neighbour was settled, he ended up dodging bullets.
The 41-year-old from Everest squatter camp in Springs, Ekurhuleni, told Daily Sun the trouble started when his neighbour accused him and the other people in his yard of denying her access to water.
“She doesn’t have a tap in her yard but we do. She called us names like amashangane and makwerekwere. She said we have smelly armpits and should leave her country,” said Alex.
He said they ignored her because she always insulted them.
“When we told her to come fetch water, she sent her boy but she shouted that we were taking what belongs to South Africans,” said Alex.
After the matter was taken to the street committee, the woman was told to find another place to live and apologise because she seemed to have a problem with foreigners.
Alex said the situation turned ugly when the woman returned last Saturday with cops, who allegedly told everyone in the yard to keep still or they would kill them.
He said all hell broke loose when a cop slapped a man and he slapped back. Alex claimed the police randomly opened fire on them. They all started running but Alex was shot in the thigh with an R5 and Kevin Muchirahondo (30) was hit on the waist.
When residents saw what was happening, they started throwing stones at the police vehicle. Alex claimed when they went to the police station to open a case they were told they couldn’t because of the stone throwing. He said the cops also refused to take them to the hospital.
Springs cop shop Captain Johannes Ramphora said a case of attempted murder was opened against the cops but the police also opened cases against residents.
