Mob threatens councillor

A Buffalo City Metro councillor and her daughter were rescued by police from an angry mob at Leaches Bay yesterday after the mob held them hostage during a service delivery protest.

BCM Ward 46 councillor Nontsikelelo Peter’s vehicle was surrounded by a mob of more than 300 angry residents who threatened to burn her and her daughter alive.

They allegedly threatened to set her vehicle alight while her daughter was inside.

Peter allegedly told the angry crowd to burn her and the borrowed Mercedes-Benz vehicle she was driving instead of her child.

The drama played out at Leaches Bay township settlement near the East London IDZ yesterday afternoon.

Residents complained they had been without electricity for the past four weeks and Peter seemed reluctant to help them.

When the Daily Dispatch team arrived at the scene, more than 15 law enforcement vehicles were at the scene, rescuing Peter from the crowd.

The crowd burned tyres in one of the township’s main roads.

East London police spokeswoman Warrant Officer Hazel Mqala said the situation was chaotic.

“Police had to rescue her from the angry crowd which said they would release her when the electricity unit had arrived to restore electricity,” said Mqala.

Mqala said police took Peter to a safe place.

“She was in danger there. She was trying to reason with the crowd, explaining to them what the problem was.

“She’s in a safe place now,” she said.

BCM spokesman, Sibusiso Cindi confirmed the incident, saying Peter had been released unharmed.

“A few members of the community held Councillor Ntsiki Peter hostage demanding that electricity be restored in their area.

“BCM then sent our law enforcement and political leadership together with engineering officials to diffuse the tension and attend to the community’s demands,” said Cindi.

Resident Thobani Mbidze said residents cared about getting their electricity back and nothing else.

He said many residents have had to throw away their groceries.

“When we are in this situation you will expect people to get angry. We are in the winter season and yet we don’t have electricity but our councillor is not assisting, what do we do?

“We are also tired of burning tyres. We need attention from BCM, they must address us. We are human beings not animals.”

The protest started late on Tuesday night with the Leaches Bay residents closing off the R72 near the East London Airport.

Though there was no damage done or reported, some motorists travelling in and out of the airport were affected by the blockade.

Police arrested five protesters.

Motorist Petros Majola said: “Some of the people who were going to the airport had tender documents to be couriered out of this town but the delay affected them.

“The airport fire department had to clear the area for us.”

Mqala confirmed Tuesday afternoon’s arrests.

“We were called to the scene when residents blocked the R72 near the airport on Tuesday and five protesters were arrested and charged with public violence.

“We will monitor this until the situation is back to normal,” said Mqala.

Late yesterday afternoon Peter was with BCM council speaker Zoliswa Matana to report on the chaos.

“I am reporting this to the council speaker and we are in a meeting,” she said. Cindi said preliminary findings on the power outage in the area showed it was due to illegal connections.

“We resolved to bring electricians and put the power back on, but we also pleaded with residents to cease using izinyoka because the same problem will crop up again.

“We also informed them that izinyoka are killing and maiming people,” said Cindi.

By 5pm electricity was restored in some of the areas of the township.

Mbindze said some areas were still without electricity. — bonganif@dispatch.co.za