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| Version 1 | Version 2 |
|---|---|
| Violent protests over SA housing | Violent protests over SA housing |
| (about 1 hour later) | |
| One person has been killed during angry clashes between police and protesters in the South African township of Soweto, police say. | One person has been killed during angry clashes between police and protesters in the South African township of Soweto, police say. |
| The man was run over by a bakery van during the protests, in which police fired rubber bullets and demonstrators threw rocks and burned tyres. | The man was run over by a bakery van during the protests, in which police fired rubber bullets and demonstrators threw rocks and burned tyres. |
| The protesters are angry at what they see as the government's failure to improve living conditions. | The protesters are angry at what they see as the government's failure to improve living conditions. |
| A BBC correspondent says these are the latest in a series of violent clashes. | A BBC correspondent says these are the latest in a series of violent clashes. |
| One community leader told the BBC that local residents still had no water, no electricity and no sewage provision. | One community leader told the BBC that local residents still had no water, no electricity and no sewage provision. |
| In Protea South, a sprawling shanty town of tin shacks and lean-tos outside Johannesburg, scores of angry protesters complained that nothing has changed despite years of promises from politicians and local councillors, nothing has changed. | In Protea South, a sprawling shanty town of tin shacks and lean-tos outside Johannesburg, scores of angry protesters complained that nothing has changed despite years of promises from politicians and local councillors, nothing has changed. |
| The demonstrators said they gathered after local government officials refused to meet them to discuss their complaints. | The demonstrators said they gathered after local government officials refused to meet them to discuss their complaints. |
| Arrests | Arrests |
| Police confronted the crowd and after a stand-off that lasted several hours, councillors came for talks. | Police confronted the crowd and after a stand-off that lasted several hours, councillors came for talks. |
| But as the discussion grew heated, protesters threw rocks at the armoured vehicle they were talking from. | But as the discussion grew heated, protesters threw rocks at the armoured vehicle they were talking from. |
| Police opened fire with rubber bullets, shooting low and flat as the crowd scattered into the township. | Police opened fire with rubber bullets, shooting low and flat as the crowd scattered into the township. |
| "Police had to use rubber bullets when hundreds of residents became violent during a protest," police spokeswoman Inspector Edna Mamonyane told the AFP news agency. | "Police had to use rubber bullets when hundreds of residents became violent during a protest," police spokeswoman Inspector Edna Mamonyane told the AFP news agency. |
| "Two journalists were injured when protesters started throwing stones and bricks at the police. A protester was run over by a bakery truck and killed on the scene, while we arrested seven suspects." | "Two journalists were injured when protesters started throwing stones and bricks at the police. A protester was run over by a bakery truck and killed on the scene, while we arrested seven suspects." |
| The BBC's Peter Greste says the protest is the latest in a long series of angry demonstrations at the ANC government's failure to deal with the demands of the vast, black underclass that supported them through the years of apartheid. | The BBC's Peter Greste says the protest is the latest in a long series of angry demonstrations at the ANC government's failure to deal with the demands of the vast, black underclass that supported them through the years of apartheid. |
| Analysts have warned that unless significant improvements are made soon to the impoverished townships, these protests will only become more angry and more frequent. | Analysts have warned that unless significant improvements are made soon to the impoverished townships, these protests will only become more angry and more frequent. |
| Our correspondent says it is not yet a political crisis, but it is heading that way. | Our correspondent says it is not yet a political crisis, but it is heading that way. |
| The government says it is in a process of moving the Protea South residents to a better place where they will be provided with houses. | |
| South Africa has built at least 1.6 million new houses and 9 million people have gained access to water since the end of apartheid in 1994, but shortages remain severe. |