CENTANE - Residents of Centane in the Eastern Cape accused police of being under the influence of drug lords.
They point to a meeting in February, during which a group of elderly residents called for the removal of suspected drug dealers from their community.
But they were allegedly shot at with rubber bullets and then arrested.
Andile Tyiwa, a community activist, said they are afraid of the police.
"We are afraid of the police because at any time they feel like shooting at people, they do it, and nothing happens to them. We are afraid of a justice system that can arrest a blind person. We are afraid of the police if they can put a old man for more than 13 days in the cells, who has no priors and nothing happens. We have been protesting at Centane town, nothing happens. Our own mayor has not been part of this at all."