Schools, shops and businesses were forced to shut their doors in Lusikisiki yesterday as violent protests by residents intensified – with one councillor’s house burned down and another being threatened at gunpoint.Protests started two weeks ago but on Monday, tensions escalated when residents from three wards blockaded the R61 and prevented motorists from passing.
The road was blockaded at various times again yesterday.
At 4pm Ward 20 residents blocked the road after claiming police fired rubber bullets at them as they gathered, waiting to be addressed by their leaders
Ward 16 councillor Thuliswa Jotile said the protesters torched her house on Tuesday evening.
She has since been taken to a place of safety.
Jotile was allegedly held at gunpoint by community members on Sunday, and forced to write a letter of resignation.
She said yesterday: “They burned my house down ... I have lost everything, my furniture and clothes were destroyed. They also vandalised an adjacent house.”
In Ward 20, protesters threatened the life of their councillor, Phazamile Ngxamile, forcing him to seek refuge in a nearby mielie field while waiting for police to rescue him and his family.
On Sunday Ngxamile was assaulted by community members, leaving him with head wounds and a broken finger.
Ngxamile declined to comment yesterday, saying he was not in a “good space to speak to the media”. He did, however, say his family was safe.
At midday yesterday, a 5000-strong crowd advanced on the police station from two directions.
Most protesters were armed with pangas, bushknives, knobkieries or rocks.
One protester claimed the plan was to petrol bomb the police. As tensions flared, community members who were not part of the mob were also pelted with rocks.
Police shot rubber bullets at the advancing crowds, sending the protesters scattering. The officers also discharged teargas.
At around 1pm, some of the protesters burned a house near the R61.
Furious residents are demanding their councillors resign and not stand for the upcoming local government elections.
On Sunday, residents of Ward 21 said they were told by the ANC regional executive committee they must vote for their preferred ward candidate.
But local resident Sibusiso Dlokweni said if ANC leaders corrupt the election process they would blockade the road again.
Provincial deputy commissioner Major-General Zamuthando Mki called on community members to stand down. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
Lusikisiki in lockdown as rubber bullets, teargas fly
Protests started two weeks ago but on Monday, tensions escalated when residents from three wards blockaded the R61 and prevented motorists from passing.
The road was blockaded at various times again yesterday.
At 4pm Ward 20 residents blocked the road after claiming police fired rubber bullets at them as they gathered, waiting to be addressed by their leaders
Ward 16 councillor Thuliswa Jotile said the protesters torched her house on Tuesday evening.
She has since been taken to a place of safety.
Jotile was allegedly held at gunpoint by community members on Sunday, and forced to write a letter of resignation.
She said yesterday: “They burned my house down ... I have lost everything, my furniture and clothes were destroyed. They also vandalised an adjacent house.”
In Ward 20, protesters threatened the life of their councillor, Phazamile Ngxamile, forcing him to seek refuge in a nearby mielie field while waiting for police to rescue him and his family.
On Sunday Ngxamile was assaulted by community members, leaving him with head wounds and a broken finger.
Ngxamile declined to comment yesterday, saying he was not in a “good space to speak to the media”. He did, however, say his family was safe.
At midday yesterday, a 5000-strong crowd advanced on the police station from two directions.
Most protesters were armed with pangas, bushknives, knobkieries or rocks.
One protester claimed the plan was to petrol bomb the police. As tensions flared, community members who were not part of the mob were also pelted with rocks.
Police shot rubber bullets at the advancing crowds, sending the protesters scattering. The officers also discharged teargas.
At around 1pm, some of the protesters burned a house near the R61.
Furious residents are demanding their councillors resign and not stand for the upcoming local government elections.
On Sunday, residents of Ward 21 said they were told by the ANC regional executive committee they must vote for their preferred ward candidate.
But local resident Sibusiso Dlokweni said if ANC leaders corrupt the election process they would blockade the road again.
Provincial deputy commissioner Major-General Zamuthando Mki called on community members to stand down. — abongilem@dispatch.co.za
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