FURY OVER MATIE PUB RAIDS GROWS

Patrons and owners of three Stellenbosch clubs raided by police during
an anti-drugs blitz at the weekend are outraged at the law enforcers'
alleged heavy-handedness and are considering legal action.

They claim raids at Die Mystic Boer, Bohemia and Springbok pubs in the
early hours of Saturday where police fired bullets into the ceiling at
Bohemia and pointed shotguns in several people's faces were
unnecessarily brutal.

One student alleged police had thrown women against the walls and
smashed glasses against the heads of customers waiting to be searched
for drugs "It was brutal and horrific."

She also claimed some of the women had been sexually violated by a
male policeman and that some patrons said they had been pepper-sprayed
while lying face down on the floor.

Messages have poured into Facebook about the incident, with students
saying they were pistol-whipped, pepper-sprayed, verbally abused and
beaten by police during the searches.

Police spokesperson Elliot Sinyangana confirmed the raids and said a
"considerable" amount of drugs had been confiscated during the operation.