Protests over municipal service delivery went on for a second day in Port Elizabeth, with dissatisfied residents setting tyres alight and blockading roads on Friday.
The police’s deputy area commissioner for Port Elizabeth, Director Ronald Koll, said about 300 to 400 residents from Ramaphosa village near Motherwell were protesting against the slow pace of housing delivery.
Koll said Nelson Mandela metro mayor Nceba Faku was negotiating with 10 representatives from the community on Friday to try to reach some sort of solution and ”plan the way forward”.
”There was no violence and the mayor is not under threat.”
Koll said police are monitoring the situation, with the main road to Addo still closed to traffic.
Protesters started barricading roads at about 5am.
On Thursday, Faku had to respond to protests in KwaZakhele, when protesters also blocked the main road to the central city, set tyres ablaze and strewed rubbish on the road.
Mayoral spokesperson Roland Williams confirmed the Motherwell incident.
”From what we believe, the situation is defused now,” he said.
Williams said frustrations about the pace of delivery are ”understandable”, but there are correct channels through which to pursue grievances.
”We would discourage people in expressing their frustrations in this manner because it does not help good governance.”
Williams said those engaging in unlawful conduct will face prosecution. — Sapa