Following the recent violent protests in Zonkezizwe, where a councillor’s house and two Eskom mobile offices were torched and the R550 road barricaded with rocks and burning tyres, the EMPD Community Liaison Unit, as well as the EMPD Public Order Policing Unit, conducted a special operation, on Tuesday night.
The operation resulted in the arrest of seven people believed to be linked to the burning of the councillor’s house.
Intensive information gathering efforts bore fruit when the EMPD officers, accompanied by the acting chief of police, Isaac Jabu Mapiyeye, were able to make seven arrests – three women and four men.
The operation in Zonkezizwe commenced at 10pm and was concluded at 2am on July 1.
All the suspects were picked up from their homes without offering any resistance.
The rioting took place on June 24 and the councillor’s house was torched at around 7.16pm on June 25.
There were no casualties reported.
Charges of arson and public violence were registered against the seven suspects at the Zonkezizwe Police Station.
The women’s ages are 27, 37 and 55 and the men’s ages are 27, 31, 35 and 36.
They are expected to appear in the Heidelberg Magistrates Court soon.
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