Furious Paulpietersburg residents attempted to storm a ward councillor’s home during a protest last week.
One of their main grievances was an alleged lack of service delivery, especially in Ward 3, which is overseen by Ward Councillor, Mrs Hlatswayo, who found herself a target of the unrest.
Vehicles were reportedly stoned, tyres burned on the roadway and municipal buildings were set alight and vandalised, as rage continued to build in the area throughout the week.
ANC Mzala Nxumalo Regional Secretary, Zakes Buthelezi claimed the protest had ulterior motives.
He told the Vryheid Herald the party had noted ‘the opportunism of some elements of the community, who are using this to drive their own agenda of disturbing the governance of Edumbe Local Municipality’.
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 service delivery, and the treacherous condition of the main road leading into the township.
Buthelezi confirmed the ANC agreed with the community about the neglect of the road, and said an advertisement of a tender for the repair of the road had been published already.
The memorandum also made mention of refuse removal, and Buthelezi said the ANC was aware of the problems encountered during December, but to date the system had ‘kicked in’ and refuse was being collected.
Residents also demanded that entities such as SAPS and Transnet employ local people from the Edumbe area.
They also accused the ANC governance of nepotism, claiming family members of councillors were contracted during tenders. According to Buthelezi, these allegations were untrue. He stated the party accepted the ‘genuine grievances’ from the people of Edumbe and would address them accordingly.

But 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 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 riot control equipment.

By the early hours of last 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 between the ages of 17 and 46 were arrested for public violence, malicious damage to property, arson and assault on the police.  The SAPS KwaZulu-Natal Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Khombinkosi Jula condemned these protest acts and he commended the police officers for the arrest of those who were believed to be responsible for the violence and destruction of property.  After the suspects were release of the arrested suspects, residents allegedly announced they would be registering their own political party, to oppose the ANC governance of the Edumbe Local Municipality.  Buthelezi confirmed the party was aware of the motives of certain community members of Edumbe.

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