Andries Tatane died in April 2011 when the South African Police Service (SAPS) shot him at close range with rubber bullets during a protest in Ficksburg in the Free State. In 2017, 11-year-old Karabo Khumalo died after allegedly being hit on the head by rubber bullets during a protest in Bela-Bela. The death of Thembekile Fana, 61, during a protest in the Eastern Cape in 2018 also appears to have been linked to the use of rubber bullets at close range.
Rubber bullets are less likely to result in death than live ammunition. But they can kill. And the risk of serious injury or death increases dramatically when they are used at close range. Apart from rubber bullets, weapons that are widely used in public order policing in South Africa also include tear gas, stun grenades and water cannons. The SAPS has also purchased 40 Long Range Acoustic Devices (LRAD).
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