Sasolburg protest flares up again
2013-01-21 07:14
Video
2013-01-21 08:19
Watch residents of Zamdela township in Sasolburg barricade roads and burn tyres in protest against municipal demarcation plans. WATCH
Sasolburg - Residents of Zamdela township in Sasolburg continued
to protest against municipal demarcation plans and barricaded roads on Monday
morning, Free State police said.
"The protests started again just after 05:00 today
[Monday]. Main roads into the Zamdela township have been barricaded...tyres are
burning," said police spokesperson Constable Peter Kareli.
Learning had come to a standstill as children in the
township stayed away from schools in the morning, he said.
The protests started on Sunday when residents came out of a
meeting about municipal demarcation.
Arrests
They were apparently unhappy about plans to merge Sasolburg
into the Ngwathe Local Municipality, which Parys falls under.
Nearly ninety people were arrested and charged with public
violence on Sunday after they went amok and looted shops in the township.
"More people were arrested at around 03:00 this morning
[Monday] as they continued to loot shops," Kareli said.
The total number of those arrested since Sunday has not been
officially tallied yet, but it is estimated that almost 150 were arrested.
Those who were arrested on Sunday are expected to appear in
the Sasolburg Magistrates' Court on Monday to face charges of public violence.
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- SAPA
