Furious Paulpietersburg residents attempted to storm a ward councillor’s home earlier this week.

Vehicles were reportedly stoned, tyres burned on the roadway and municipal buildings were set alight and vandalised on February 3, as rage continued to build in the area.

Residents have been urged to avoid the area for the time being.

On January 27, Paulpietersburg residents submitted a memorandum to the Mayor of Edumbe Local Municipality, Mavuso Kunene, in which they requested official response to problems they allegedly experienced with current service delivery.

They gave the municipality a week within which to respond.

At the forefront of residents’ demands was the removal of the Edumbe Speaker of Council and Ward 3 Councillor, Mrs Hlatshwayo.

On February 1, the Mayor called a feedback meeting with Ward 3 residents at Edumbe Stadium.

Residents claimed the response was unsatisfactory, as It did not entail Cllr Hlatshwayo’s removal, and the community threatened to intensify protest action until this demand was met.

Two days later at around 11pm, residents gathered at the stadium again to mobilise further protests.

The Public Order Policing (POP) Unit monitored the situation throughout the night, but was allegedly unable to curb the violence as it did not have the necessary equipment for riot conditions.

By the early hours of Tuesday morning, protesters allegedly became more violent and advanced into the town itself, blockading the road, toppling road signs and stoning vehicles and the police station.

Police officials then intervened as protesters descended upon Cllr Hlatshwayo’s house.

The thwarted residents allegedly vandalised the municipal building instead and torched other municipal structures, with a second protest group breaking into local shops and looting them.

The POP Unit ultimately dispersed protesters using riot gear and armoured vehicles.

Members of the Cluster Task Team were reportedly travelling from Pongola when they were trapped within a crowd of protesters, and attacked with a barrage of rocks.

A constable sustained facial injuries after being struck by a stone, and was transported to a Vryheid hospital for treatment.

The total estimated value of the damages has not yet been determined.

In total however, 107 suspects were arrested for public violence, malicious damage to property, arson and assault on the police.

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