By Miranda Andrew, Arthi Sanpathh and Ayanda Mhlongo
Protest action peaked in Durban on Tuesday as police clashed with hundreds of informal traders angered over the arrests of their colleagues.
Police arrested about 500 people on Tuesday and 25 protesters on Monday.
Allegations of police brutality were again rife as Metro and South African Police Service officers armed with shotguns, batons, pepper spray and stun grenades herded protesting traders into waiting police vans. The massive crowd of more than 500 people gathered outside the Durban magistrate's court where 25 traders appeared.
Although the traders carried sticks and stones, onlookers said they were appalled at the way police subdued traders.
Daily News journalists and photographers witnessed numerous incidents in which police randomly assaulted men and women reminiscent of the apartheid-style tactics used by police during political protests.
Metro police had waited for back-up before using rubber bullets, stun grenades, pepper spray and a water canon to disperse the crowds.
They then resorted to grabbing traders by their throats, dragging them and throwing them into the back of police trucks. Some traders who managed to flee were caught further down the road and, according to onlookers, beaten.
Police used batons to strike traders across the face while others held back traders and squirted spray directly into their eyes.
"The trucks are filled to capacity with traders now. Once they are dropped off at holding cells, they will return to pick up the rest," said one Metro officer.
One woman collapsed and suffered an epileptic fit while another had an anxiety attack. Both traders were made to sit against the court gates and wait.
Among those assaulted was Futhi Mkhwanazi, 31, who claimed she was assaulted by the police after leaving the court.
"We could hear the noise of the protesters from inside the court building and by then the gates were closed so I begged the guards to let me out because I was waiting for a relative to bring me documents that I had forgotten at home.
"The trouble had already started but I thought that I was going to wait at a distance from the gate so that I could see my relative," she said.
She said that while waiting a group of traders ran towards her when police threw teargas at them.
"All of a sudden I was grabbed by three officers who began beating me with their batons and swearing. I cried and tried to explain that I was not part of the crowd but they continued," she said tearfully.
During the scuffle, Mkhwanazi was injured and had to call her brother to pick her up from the police station.
She said she had never seen such brutality from the police.
"I am still shocked and horrified by the way people, including women, were treated. The authorities need to look at this situation seriously," she said.
Trader organisations have condemned the police actions saying they were merely trying to voice their dissatisfaction with trading laws and facilities.
Said Themba Duma, vice president for the Informal Traders Management Board: "We are trading without proper facilities like water and toilets and cannot do business properly. We are being harassed by police continuously and arrested for no reason.
"We are here to negotiate and sort out the problem, but Metro does not want to listen. We tried to talk to Metro to allow our people to go, but they don't even want to talk to us," he added.
In response, South African Police Service spokesperson Superintendent Vincent Mdunge said the protesters had gathered to call for the release of their friends arrested on Monday.
"The roads had to be completely blocked off as the vendors were intimidating officers. We then brought in a water canon to disperse the crowds, however, this made them react violently towards the police officers," said Mdunge.
"We are not sure as to the number of people arrested at this point as those arrested are still being processed at the Durban Central Police Station," he said.
The arrested street traders would be charged under the Violation of Public Violence Act, the Public Gatherings Act and the Malicious Destruction to Property Act, he said.
City manager Dr Michael Sutcliffe and Mayor Obed Mlaba were unavailable for comment.
It is believed that Sutcliffe has however launched his own investigation into the actions of the Metro Police.