Share

Cop in critical condition after protest turns violent

Bloemfontein - A policeman is in a critical condition in the Bloemfontein Medi-Clinic hospital after being seriously injured when a protest march in the small Northern Cape town of Kakamas became violent.

Henk Lourens, a member of the police’s public order unit in Upington, had to be airlifted to Bloemfontein after being hit by a bakkie after protestors tried to drive into the Kakamas municipal offices.

“His condition is critical. He is in ICU, where he was put in an induced medical coma,” Medi-Clinic spokesperson, Reinette Oosthuizen, told News24. “Lourens is being treated for head and chest injuries."

Police spokesperson Lieutenant Donald Mdhluli said a group of upset residents marched to the municipal offices on Friday afternoon between 15:00 and 16:00 to hand over a memorandum to municipal manager, Gilbert Lategan.

“The municipality manager was not present to receive the memorandum and this infuriated the community. The community members started hurling rubble at Mayor Roy Olyn and the councillors,” Mdhluli said.

According to him, four people were arrested and detained on charges of attempted murder and public violence. The situation is now calm and the arrested persons will appear in court soon.

We live in a world where facts and fiction get blurred
Who we choose to trust can have a profound impact on our lives. Join thousands of devoted South Africans who look to News24 to bring them news they can trust every day. As we celebrate 25 years, become a News24 subscriber as we strive to keep you informed, inspired and empowered.
Join News24 today
heading
description
username
Show Comments ()
Voting Booth
Do you think corruption-accused National Assembly Speaker Nosiviwe Mapisa-Nqakula will survive a motion of no confidence against her?
Please select an option Oops! Something went wrong, please try again later.
Results
No, her days are numbered
41% - 451 votes
Yes, the ANC caucus will protect her
59% - 641 votes
Vote
Rand - Dollar
18.94
-0.0%
Rand - Pound
23.91
-0.0%
Rand - Euro
20.41
+0.1%
Rand - Aus dollar
12.33
+0.1%
Rand - Yen
0.13
-0.0%
Platinum
908.05
+1.2%
Palladium
1,014.94
+1.3%
Gold
2,232.75
-0.0%
Silver
24.95
-0.1%
Brent Crude
87.00
+1.8%
Top 40
68,346
0.0%
All Share
74,536
0.0%
Resource 10
57,251
0.0%
Industrial 25
103,936
0.0%
Financial 15
16,502
0.0%
All JSE data delayed by at least 15 minutes Iress logo
Editorial feedback and complaints

Contact the public editor with feedback for our journalists, complaints, queries or suggestions about articles on News24.

LEARN MORE