The body of a man was discovered in a heap of garbage at the Buffelsdraai landfill site.
In a day of high drama at the Buffelsdraai Landfill Site near Phoenix, one person was shot and killed and several others shot and injured after violence broke-out on Wednesday morning.
The dead man is believed to have been a waste-picker at the landfill site and the other person shot and injured was a man who had collected plastic from a person scavenging earlier.
Reaction Unit South Africa’s (RUSA) Prem Balram said while it was not clear what had occurred at the landfill site, there were clear indications that there had been an altercation of some sorts that took place there and spilled over.
Mr Balram said they had responded to a call from government paramedics requesting assistance to transport the injured from Redcliffe Clinic to the nearby Osindisweni Government Hospital.
“Our members were immediately dispatched and on arrival were informed that two people had already been transported to hospital.
“Several victims informed our officers that they had been looking for food and recyclable goods at the landfill site when security officers (from the landfill site) opened fire on them with rubber bullets before changing to live shot gun and 9mm ammunition. The victims said the landfill officers believed they were hampering operations at the landfill site,” said Mr Balram.
He said there has been an ongoing history with the landfill security officers and the waste-pickers.
“Our officers have previously been called out to assist after the waste-pickers blocked trucks from entering designated dumping grounds forcing drivers to drop their loads at the entrance. They would also allegedly climb onto the trucks and remove garbage while the vehicle was in motion. At that time, one person was killed after he fell from a truck. Drivers were also held at gunpoint at the entrance and forced to empty their vehicles on several occasions,” said Mr Balram.
Then later that day, after lunch, Mr Balram said they received a call from the Verulam SAPS requesting a “Declaration of Death” to be conducted.
“Upon arrival at the site, we discovered the deceased lying in a heap of garbage. He had sustained a single gunshot wound to his chest. It has not been established if this was related to the earlier shooting incident at the landfill site,” said Mr Balram.
And then that evening RUSA members were dispatched to a scene where a truck driver was shot.
It is believed the 35-year-old driver had earlier fetched plastic from the landfill site.
“Our members discovered a stationary truck on the roadside. Three men flagged down RUSA members and stated that they were passengers in the vehicle. They further stated that their driver had been shot and fled into a nearby bush. Officers then entered the bush and located the driver. He sustained a gunshot wound to his left foot. It was established that he and his colleagues had left the landfill site after uplifting sacks of plastic collected by waste-pickers when a lone gunman opened fire on the truck. The suspect fled on foot in an unknown direction. The vehicle was shot five times,” said Mr Balram.
He said the injured truck driver was transported to hospital for medical treatment.
Police are investigating murder and attempted murder cases.