A 73-year-old granny was among the victims of alleged police brutality after she was shot with rubber bullets during a protest in Ga-Pila outside Mokopane in Limpopo.

Nelly Langa was hit on the right thigh and right shoulder while protesting against the mining activities taking place in their area.

Langa was among several people who were shot and injured, allegedly by police officers on Friday. She, together with several other victims, were taken to the Mokopane Hospital where they were treated and discharged the same day. The group later opened cases against the police.

Speaking to Sowetan one of the victims, 56-year-old Mosima Makgotlho, said she did not know why police opened fire at them.

“We were just demonstrating by singing struggle songs and waving placards. We neither threw stones nor burnt tyres. It was just a peaceful demonstration,” said Makgotlho.  “We were not fighting. We just wanted to register our concerns,” she said.

Makgotlho said they wanted to be given back their land which was dispossessed in 2001 to allow mining activities to take place. She said the mine did not do anything to develop the area.

“We were evicted from our ancestral land in 2001 and promised milk and honey. But the mine is doing nothing to develop the new area where we were settled. Instead the company hires people from outside of the area, thereby leaving our children to suffer with no jobs,” she said.

Community leader Matome Kganakga said their land was rich with minerals but the residents, as custodians of the land, did not benefit.

“We want our land back and we will see what we can do with it. We've suffered enough since the mining activities started,” Kganakga said.

Attempts to get comment from Anglo-Platinum spokesperson Mpumi Sithole drew a blank as she was not available on her mobile phone.

Police spokesperson Colonel Moatshe Ngoepe confirmed that cases had been opened against their members and that the matter was now with the Independent Police Investigative Directorate “for further handling”.

frankm@sowetan.co.za