Two protesters have been shot dead and several properties, including the library, a clinic and the mayor’s house, were set alight in a Piet Retief township in Mpumalanga, police said on Tuesday.
”One protester was shot dead in a scuffle at the mayor’s house,” said Captain Charles Nkosi.
This happened on Monday during the day, hours after the first protester was shot dead when groups of people went on the rampage and vandalised shops ain Thandukukhanya township.
Nkosi said the police were still investigating who fired the shots.
He said no one was injured when four houses were set alight, two of them belonging to municipal councillors and another to the mayor.
Provincial police spokesperson Superintendent Abie Khoabane said the protest action started on Sunday after about 3 000 members of the community gathered at the local stadium for a meeting with the government.
The meeting was meant to discuss claims of financial mismanagement in the Mkhondo municipality, but ”half of the group left the stadium before the meeting ended and started barricading the street, burning tyres and throwing objects [at] moving vehicles”, said Khoabane.
”Five shops were looted, the community hall, the community clinic and the library were also burnt down.
”On Monday, the protesters went ahead and burnt down four houses belonging to the town mayor, Mrs Marry Khumalo, and another house belonging to a traffic official.
”Two people were fatally wounded during this violent protest.”
The police were still investigating how the two people died.
Seven people were arrested for public violence on Sunday.
The protesters also burnt two municipal trucks, a sedan vehicle and a bakkie.
Mpumalanga Premier David Mabuza was expected to address residents on Tuesday morning.
Nkosi said the situation was calm on Tuesday morning and that the last violent incident happened at about 5pm on Monday.
But during the night, there were some incidents of vandalism.
”People were stealing some building materials from a construction site,” he said.
The provincial minister of cooperative governance and traditional affairs, Norman Mokoena, on Monday condemned ”in the strongest possible terms” the ”unwarranted violence, malicious destruction of property, disrespect of the rule of law and the violation of the rights of law abiding citizens by certain residents of Mkhondo municipality who paraded as protesters”.
”This government has got an open-door policy and at all times we will engage in dialogue with our people to ensure that we solve all problems.
”Why engage in acts of violence when the government you have chosen is willing to meet with you?” asked Mokoena.
Mokoena appealed for calm and asked anyone with information on corruption to report it to the government’s anti-corruption toll free number on 0800 701 701. — Sapa