Kids stone cops in northern areas

[caption id="attachment_93907" align="aligncenter" width="590"] STONE THROWING: A second day of protesting in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas saw youths clash with police in Stanford Road. Picture: FREDLIN ADRIAAN[/caption] Stanford Road blocked by burning branches, tyres, as violence enters second day CHILDREN pelted police vehicles with stones as violence erupted for the second day in Port Elizabeth’s northern areas yesterday.

The youths, aged mainly between 10 and 15, also used burning branches and tyres to block Stanford Road – the main thoroughfare into the city’s northern areas.

Police eventually used teargas and fired rubber bullets to disperse the children.

Traffic was diverted back from Gail Road as Stanford Road was closed from Gelvandale High School to the corner of Old Bethelsdorp Road in Windvogel.

Northern Areas Education Forum member Marlon Daniels, who watched the police operation on the Gail Road corner, said years of inequality in education had caused the violent rioting.

“It is one of the symptoms of inequality in our education system,” he said.

“If we do not bring about educational change in our area, this will continue . . . until positive answers are given.”

Daniels said it was not just teacher shortages plaguing northern areas schools, but also a lack of other staff like janitors and administrators.

“At Hillcrest Primary, there has not been a secretary for the past 10 years,” he said. “[The Department of Education] says there is no budget for them.

“There is corruption in the department and it has to be rooted out.”

Daniels said the forum was not happy with the violence. “This was meant to be a peaceful march involving picketing, but it turned violent due to police [action].

“They started firing rubber bullets and residents then reacted,” he said.

-Lee-Anne Butler