Chaos erupted when some members of the EFF disrupted a Sanral stakeholder engagement meeting at Mbombela Stadium on Friday afternoon.

The proposed P166 “highway” slated to run through White River was on the agenda. This has been a bone of contention for many years, and the meeting, held at the stadium auditorium, was the most recent one of many that had gone before.

Members of the EFF were very vocal about their dissatisfaction of the proposed road.
The chaos erupted when a response from Sanral’s regional manager, Progress Hlahla, surrounding the development, was found unsatisfactory by the party during a Q&A session.

The programme’s director, Bheki Nxumalo’s efforts to calm the situation were in vain.
The provincial EFF’s leader, Collen Sedibe, was approached for comment, but said he was still gathering information about the incident.

ALSO READ: Proposed ‘highway’ has residents hot under the collar

The proposed high-speed mobility route will bypass several settlements and towns like Rocky Drift and Maggiesdal and essentially connect the R538 at the Casterbridge traffic circle with the Mbombela/Mashishing roundabout at Riverside in Mbombela.

The issue is that it will cut through wetlands and essentially divide the town in half.

ALSO READ: Residents’ association opposes route P166 highway

While not caught in the video, the meeting’s attendees reported that at least one assault had taken place.

This is a developing story, and readers can expect a follow-up.