13-Year-Old Boy Killed After Police Used Live Ammunition During Electricity Protest, SA Left Reeling

• A 13-year-old life was ended after he was shot in the head by the police during an electricity protest
• Philasande Yende was standing at the sidelines of the service delivery protest when police began at the crowd
• The Independent Police Investigative Directorate has initiated a probe into why the police used live ammunition instead of rubber bullets

EMALAHLENI - The life of a 13-year-old boy was tragically cut short by a stray police bullet.

Philasande Yende took a bullet to the head when police fired live ammunition into a crowd of angry protestors in eMalahleni, Mpumalanga.

eMalahleni residents protest after 3 days of no electricity

Furious about not having electricity for three days, community members descended on the street and blockaded the N4 road with burning tyres demanding a restoration of the electricity supply, The Citizen reported.

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The teenager, described as a promising young man, watched the protest after he could not get to school because of the protest.

While Yende was standing on the sidelines of the protest when the stray bullet entered the back of his ear and exited through his forehead.

13-year-old Mpumalanga boy declared dead after being shot in head by stray police bullet

The boy was rushed to hospital, where his family was informed that he had died. According to the publication, the family had been left devastated by their son's death.

According to SowetanLIVE, it isn't clear what made the police fire live ammunition instead of rubber bullets, but the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (Ipid) has opened an investigation.

South Africans have been left reeling over the 13-year-old boy's death

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Below are some comments:

Bennanta Bresler Lock said:

"So so sad my deepest and sincere condolences to the parents, family and friends... He was just a child, so sad."

Sean Doc de Lange commented:

"We truly live in a sick, depraved & evil world."

Martie Smith mourned:

"RIP, little one... You are just another child that this country and its government have failed."

Lekeke Mangena added:

"This is Hector Peterson's story."

Present Komane claimed:

"Firstly I blame the parents, how can you let a 13-year-old boy go for toitoi. As for me, I can't let that happen."

Protestors block roads as tensions grow in Mzansi: “Fighting the locals instead of the real villains”

In another story, Briefly News reported that citizens called for unity ahead of the Economic Freedom Fighters’ (EFF) planned national shutdown on Monday, 20 March.

The calls came after videos of citizens blocking roadways with crates and boulders emerged on social media. Many expressed concerns over the protests.

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In a video clip shared on TikTok by @selbyletsoalo2, citizens attempted to barricade a traffic-packed road with crates. People could also be seen yelling at each other in the video.

Source: Briefly News