ELUKWATINI: Two arrested after police car torched during service delivery protest

ELUKWATINI – The strike started last Monday and the protesters were calmed on Thursday after the executive mayor Cllr Dan Nkosi met with them at the local sports field.

Musa Khumalo, a community member said as residents of Section Seven in Nhlazatje, they feel neglected when it comes to service delivery issues, which sparked the protests.

The residents are tired of raising issues affecting them that get left unattended. We don’t have a sports field for children. Community members have to make donations to go and hire a TLB to come and pave the sportfield.

“RDP houses are not being built in this section. The last one was built last year. The street lights have been non-functional for years now. Every time we raise our issues, the promise us, but nothing is being done,” said Khumalo.

He said it was a right for all South Africans to vote, but they as residents of Seven think otherwise.

“The mayor (Dan Nkosi) came here and promised to meet his delegates on May 30 and he will come and give us a feedback. That will be after the general elections. We want him to address our issues now, or otherwise we will boycott the elections as residents of Seven,” added Khumalo.

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Three protesters were arrested during the mayhem and charged with public violence and malicious damage to state property.

They include Cebsile Ncongwane (36) and Nhlanhla Zulu (23). The other suspect can’t be named, as he has not appeared in court. He is currently admitted to Embhuleni General Hospital after he was injured under police guard.

Both Ncongwane and Zulu appeared before the Eesterhoek Magistrate’s Court on Wednesday. They were each granted a bail of R500. Their next court appearance will be on May 29.

Eluwatini police spokesman, Sgt Peace Mbokane, said the police tried to disperse the marchers with the use of rubber bullets, but it was in vain as they grew more violent and charged at them with stones.

In the process, two state vehicles were damaged. One of them to a state where it was eventually burned by the protesters and a firearm which was inside the vehicle was also charred,” said Mbokane.

He said the protesters took their march to Nhlazatshe Crossing in the central business district, where they threatened street vendors and looted their stock.

“Big sellers in the town had to close their shops. At least one community member was injured in the process. He was given medical attention and discharged from the local hospital,” added Mbokane.

He said the police were doing all they can to bring the perpetrators to book and further warn other members of the community to avoid associating with people of perverse purposes in the name of service delivery protests.

We also appeal to the public to take note that malicious damage to state property is a serious offence and should be the last thing they resort to. This barbaric act will not have a blind eye and a deaf ear turned to it, and those who will be found to have contributed into it, either physically or by the doctrine of common purpose, will be in for a very rude awakening,” continued Mbokane.