A public library was burned and a police station stoned on Tuesday night at Phomolong, near Hennenman in the northern Free State, police said on Wednesday.
Police spokesperson Constable Stephen Thakeng said police managed to extinguish the fire at the library but most of the books were destroyed.
Tuesday night’s disturbances — in protest over municipal service delivery — followed an agreement between residents and police earlier in the day to restore calm after police used a stun grenade and rubber bullets to disperse a crowd of youths.
Thakeng said about 500 youths had taken part in an illegal gathering. Streets were also blocked and the entrance to Phomolong was barricaded with burning tyres.
”The protesters were informed the gathering was illegal according to the Gatherings Act but they ignored police’s requests to disperse,” Thakeng said.
Police then used a stun grenade to disperse the crowd.
During the protests, police also managed to extinguish a fire at the local municipal offices.
Four youths were arrested on charge of public violence. They will appear in court on Wednesday along with residents arrested during earlier protests in the township.
Thakeng said residents were unhappy about the lack of response from local government minister Benny Kotsoane to a memorandum they had handed to him after earlier protests.
Present at Tuesday’s meeting were the Phomolong crisis committee, the community policing forum and representatives of the local school governing bodies.
Thakeng said the police promised on Tuesday to send their concerns to the mayor of Matjhabeng, Serake Leeuw, to Kotsoane’s office and to Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff.
Police are monitoring the situation. — Sapa