Three vehicles torched in 24 hours during PE protest action

Three vehicles, including a state ambulance, have been torched and another stoned by protesters in the northern areas over the last 24 hours.

Police have warned that William Slammert Drive and the end of Stanford Road, near Vastrap in Booysen Park, are now closed.

The protests are linked to ongoing disputes regarding service delivery in the area.

The latest incident saw an Izikathi Security vehicle torched after protesters blocked William Slammert Drive.

According to police, the road had been blocked with rubble and stones when protesters forced the security vehicle to stop.

Officials said the driver was told to run away, while protesters then torched his vehicle.

This comes after a metro EMS ambulance and a courier delivery vehicle were torched near Qunu in Booysen Park on Wednesday night.

Police spokesperson Col Priscilla Naidu said the ambulance, which was en route to a medical call out, was ambushed and torched at about 8pm on Wednesday.

“About six suspects were hiding in the nearby bushes when a petrol bomb-type device was thrown at the ambulance.

“The crew abandoned the vehicle and fortunately, a second ambulance was nearby to assist,” Naidu  said.

“As the second ambulance approached, the suspect’s pelted stones at it.”

An hour later, a courier vehicle also had stones thrown at it, before being hijacked in nearby William Slabbert Drive.

Earlier this week, five people were arrested for public violence linked to the protest action.

Eastern Cape provincial police spokesperson Brig Tembinkosi Kinana referred all queries to the Media Centre, which failed to reply by the time of going to print.