The 7de Laan actor was shot on Monday morning and allegations are that he was trying to intervene between the enraged community and the police when was caught in the chaos.
Johannesburg – Actor Patrick Shai is in hospital recuperating after being shot several times during a protest for electricity in Dobsonville, Soweto.
The 7de Laan actor was shot on Monday morning and allegations are that he was trying to intervene between the enraged community and the police when was caught in the chaos.
The community had taken to the streets to protests against electricity cuts. Apparently the place has not had electricity since Friday.
Elias Motsoaledi Road. Dobsonville
Protest over electricitypic.twitter.com/w6MfWJTNTO
— Kabi (@KabiMasekabs)November 11, 2019
Shai, who lives in the area, had allegedly not been affected by power cuts but decided to join the protest as a means of keeping the peace among residents and the police.
According to Channel24, Shai said he was struck by 11 rubber bullets when he stood between disgruntled residents and police, trying and calm the situation.
Eskom has left Mmesi park (Dobsonville) without power since Friday midday. These area is on prepaid. There has been peaceful protests throughout the weekend. Now@SAPoliceService has opened fire using live ammunition, rubber bullets and teargas@Eskom_SA@AsktheChiefJMPD…..
— Ramoseli Koalibane (@makoya_1)November 11, 2019
He told the news website that while his thigh was left wounded, most of the rubber bullets hit him the back when he was trying to get away.
He also said he was going to have x-rays done to determine if he had incurred any other structural damage to tissue or bone.
Speaking to Radio 702, Shai complained about the conduct of the Public Order Police saying they were not properly trained and that he would be would be lodging a complaint with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate
Soweto has seen multiple protests recently over electricity blackouts following reports that it owed the power utility more than R18 billion in unpaid electricity bills.
“Some members of the community bypass the meters, illegally connect themselves to the network, and vandalise electricity infrastructure, which leads to sporadic power interruptions,” Eskom spokesperson Dikatso Mothae said in July this year after some Soweto residents took to the streets to protest about not having electricity.
“This is because the transformers become overloaded, particularly during the winter period, and subsequently catch fire or explode as their protections have been interfered with and vandalised.”
The Star
