1 Dies, 100 Hurt in Protests Against Racial Discrimination in S. Africa
Images reminiscent of South Africa’s bitter past reappeared Thursday when mixed-race rioters looted, burned tires and fought police in townships around Johannesburg to protest alleged discrimination by the black-led government.
At least one person died, and more than 100 were injured, including six police officers, in the worst racial unrest since President Nelson Mandela defeated Frederik W. de Klerk and came to power in 1994.
But those who once fought the government when it was white-led now run it, and the protesters were mostly poor people of mixed-race descent--in one protester’s words, “not black enough and not white enough” to enjoy the benefits of the new South Africa.
“The government is neglecting us. They talk about equality, but there isn’t any for us,” said Nevi Brinck, overseeing a barricade of blazing tires in this sprawling mixed-race township about 30 miles south of Johannesburg.
Officials said the one fatality was a child.
Start your day right
Sign up for Essential California for news, features and recommendations from the L.A. Times and beyond in your inbox six days a week.
You may occasionally receive promotional content from the Los Angeles Times.
