Ekhurhuleni mayor Tania Campbell has called for calm after two people were killed during violent protests in Tembisa on Monday.
In a statement, Campbell said while the citizens have a constitutional right to protest, arson and vandalism of public infrastructure will not be tolerated.
“We are concerned that the visuals we are witnessing in Tembisa are not community-based, but rather a well-orchestrated operation to render the township ungovernable,” said Campbell.
“We believe that the current destruction of public infrastructure is politically motivated and intended to undermine the progress of the new administration.”
Angry residents took to the streets early in the morning and barricaded the roads with burning tyres and rubble in a move to get attention from the authorities about poor service delivery, including high municipal rates and electricity cuts.
The protest quickly turned violent when vehicles and a municipality’s building were torched. Two people were also shot dead during the skirmishes.
Ekurhuleni metro police spokesperson Kelebogile Thepa confirmed on TV that one of the deceased was shot dead by a metro officer. However, she said the circumstances surrounding the death would be a subject for further investigation.
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