Update 28 October: Matriculants in Bekkersdal have been moved to a place of safety where they are expected study and write their final exams, which starts today.

The pupils were moved to the secure site on 27 October following weeks of violent protests in the area thast saw pupils being pulled out of schools to partake in the violence.

According to community leader Thabang Wesi, pupils in the area have been moved to an undisclosed camp with the assistance of the Department of Education.

“If anything, this is to ensure that our children write their exams in a conducive environment, however it does not mean that we will back down from our protest actions,” says Wesi.

Meanwhile, the Department of Education spokesperson Gershwin Chuenyane has confirmed this and says that this will be for the benefit of the matriculants.

“The matriculants will be in the residential camp for as long as it is neccesary.

“We will only review the possibility of discontinueing the camp depending on the situation in Bekkersdal,” says Chuenyane.

Update 28 October: Protests in Bekkersdal have been called off for the time being following a week of violence and looting.

This after the Westonaria Concerned Residents Association (WCRA) accepted that Governments step in and conduct investigations into their claims of mismanagement and nepotism.

Even though Bekkersdal is quiet this morning, there remains a significant police presence in the area afte residents on Sunday continued to barricade roads with burning tyres, rocks and tree stumps.

Gauteng Premier Nomvula Mokonyane and Westonaria Executive Mayor Nokoliso Tundzi allegedly had to make a quick escape from the area on Sunday morning after being confronted by a group of angry residents while they were attending a local church.

Meanwhile police say that more arrests in connection with public violence and looting are expected this week.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

Update 25 October: Violent protests in Bekkersdal and Simunye are set to continue this morning.

At least three shops were looted during the night and the Bekkersdal community centre has been completely destroyed.

Protestors attacked the building late yesterday and, after removing the corrugated roof panels and breaking all the windows, set it alight.

Protestors used the coorugated roof sheets to blockade roads.

There’s a large police presence in the area this morning.

Residents are also being cautioned that trouble may be brewing in the Westonaria CBD this morning, where a Somali shop owner accused of shooting at protestors and wounding a 14-year-old boy, is expected to appear in the Westonaria Magistrates’ Court.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

Update 24 October: As violence in Bekkersdal and Simunye escalte, the Gauteng Department of Education has announced that it has intervened in the situation to try and ensure that matrics from the area are able to write their matric final exams in safety and without distractions next week.

According to a statement released by the department, a special residential camp has been set up outside the community for matriculants where they will receive study tuition and where they can write their exams.

The department has appealed to community leaders on all sides in the area to assist in the stabilsing of schools in the area.

Many of the residents taking part in the protests are reportedly young school children and reports were also received that the community has removed pupils from schools to take part in the protest actions.

Violent protests were intensified today with numerous clashes between police and protestors taking place throughout the day.

The Herald has received reports that at least two buildings are on fire and that the local Fire Department is on the scene to try and put the fires out.

Community leaders have vowed that protest actions will not end until their demands are met.

Update 24 October: Ongoing violent protests in Bekkersdal has given rise to community members in surrounding townships starting protest actions of their own.

The Herald has received reports that violent protests have broken out in nearby Simunye, Zuurbekom and the Waterworks informal settlement.

Some Bekkersdal residents have apparently broken away from the main group of protestors and are rampaging through the streets and vandalising buildings and other municipal structures.

Looting of local shops is also still occurring.

Police have their hands full trying to control the crowds and to keep them all together in one place.

Meanwhile, a 20-year-old man shot in an apparent drive by shooting yesterday has died.

Some residents accuse a group of thugs allegedly hired by two local ANC ward councillors to intimidate protestors for his death.

Community leaders have vowed to keep the protests up until their grievances are attended to.

Protestors demand the disbandment of the Westonaria Local Municipality and the resignation of Executive Mayor Nonkoliso Tundzi and her top management team, who they accuse of widespread corruption, financial mismanagement and nepotism.

Various skirmishes between residents and police have broken out so far this morning.

There is as yet no indication of how many people have been injured.

Update 24 October: Violent protests have flared up again in Bekkersdal this morning as the first reports of shots fired have already come in.

A Somali shopkeeper, who shot at a group of protestors and wounded a 14-year-old boy has meanwhile been arrested and charged with attempted murder as well as the possession of an illegal firearm and ammunition.

This has fuelled attacks on foreing nationals, prompting authorities to hastily evacuate all foreign nationals from the area.

Numerous shops belonging to forwigners were looted yesterday.

One of the high schools in the area remain closed today while at another, no pupils have arrived for classes.

The Westonaria Local Municipality has confirmed that protection has been arranged for two ANC ward councillors who the community accuses of allegedly hiring a group of armed thugs to intimidate the protestors.

The community accuses them of inciting black on black violence.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

Update 23 October:  Violent protests in Bekkersdal continue and looting and vandalism is rife.

Police continue to patrol the area in Nyalas.

About one kilometer away, residents, led by the EFF, are marching to the Westonaria police station to open cases against ANC councillors suspected to have hired a group of armed thugs to intimidate and attack protesting residents.

The residents earlier threatened to burn the houses of ANC councillors in the area tonight.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

A group of residents has also attacked local municipal buildings, breaking windows and pelting stones.

Update 23 October: Angry residents of Bekkersdal have warned that they are planning to burn the houses of local ward councillors tonight.

This follows yet another day of violence in Bekkersdal where residents are demanding that the troubled Westonaria Local Municipality, under the leadership of Executive Mayor, Nonkoliso Tundzi, be disbanded.

Violent protests are still underway with residents blocking roads, burning tyres and throwing stones.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

Update 23 October: The Herald has received reports that a second person in Bekkersdal has been shot.

The person is apparently the second to be shot by a group of hired thugs, allegedly hired by a local ANC ward councillor to intimidate protestors, who demand the immediate disbandment of the Westonaria Local Municipality.

Meanwhile at a community meeting being held nearby, community leader Thabang Wesi has cautioned that the councillor in question is not safe in Bekkersdal.

Bekkersdal residents are being addressed by the regional leadership of the Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF).

It was earlier expected that EFF leader, Julius Malema would address the crowds, but he has not turned up.

Residents say that are being victimised by the police and the Westonaria Local Municipality.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

Update 23 October: The leaders of the Bekkersdal community say that they will speak to Julius Malema about the ongoing crisis in Westonaria.

Hundreds of residents have gathered and are waiting for the leadership of Malema’s Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) to arrive.

There is as yet no confirmation whether Malema himself will be there.

Meanwhile, Herald reporter Mbali Mathebula has reported that thus far, there are no disruptions on the main routes, the R28 and the N12 and that traffic is flowing smoothly.

Udate 23 October: The Herald has received reports that many of the local shops in Bekkersdal, especially those owned by foreigners, are being targeted by looters.

Violence is still widespread throughout the area, with residents petling police with stones and bricks, and police returning fire with rubber bullets.

Residents are also barricading roads and burning tyres.

Watch this space fr more as this story develops.

Update: 23 October: More than a thousand people are now on the streets of Bekkersdal as violent protests in the area continue to escalate.

Police have employed rubber bullets, and even a water cannon to try and disperse tha angry crowds.

Meanwhile, a local ANC ward councillor has apparently hired a group of at least 50 thugs in an effort to intimidate protestors, and clashes between the two groups are ongoing.

The protestors demand the disbandment of the ANC-run Westonaria Local Municipality and the resignation of Westonaria Executive Mayor Nonkoliso Tundzi and her top management team, citing apparent rife corrution and service delivery issues as the reason.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

Update: 23 October: A young boy has been shot and injured by an Ethopian shop owner this morning (23 October) in Bekkersdal.

This comes after the boy who is approximately 14-years-old tried to run away from a 50-strong vigilante group that is patrolling the area threatening residents who are set to embark on another protest action.

It is understood that the teenager who has been shot has been transported to a local hospital where he is currently being treated.

Recently, the area has made headlines in the Herald and on national media for a string of violent protest actions and things are expected to get worse.

According to Thabang Wesi who has been on the front line of the violent protest actions and a leader of the community, the ANC leadership in the area is instigating violence in the area by hiring a vigilante group of more than 50 men to target residents with knobberikies, spears and pangas.

“These people are trying to fight fire with fire and they will not win.

“We will stand by our pleas and demand that there be adequete service delivery in the area and we will not back down from that.

“We will not stay away from the streets and will continue causing chaos until our demands are felt.

“The Westonaria Local Municipality management and the Gauteng Government will feel our wrath,” says Wesi.

Meanwhile, residents of Bekkersdal are filled with anger and are gathering outside the Ethopian shop owner’s premises.

Police presence is also heavy at the scene to try and prevent any harm from coming to the shopkeeper.

Watch this space as the story develops.

Update 23 October: The situation in Bekkersdal is tense this morning as hundreds of angry residents have gathered and are keeping their promise to make the area ungovernable.

Police have fired rubber bullets t0 try and disperse the crowds, but to no avail.

Violence erupted again after President Jacob Zuma failed to show up at a meeting at the West Rand District Municipality on 22 October, to intervene in the apparent crisis in the Westonaria Local Municipality.

Protestors are demanding the  immediate dismantlement of the Westonaria Local Municipality and the resignation of Westonaria Executive Mayor Nonkoliso Tunzi and her top management team.

The Herald has received reports of two groups of Bekkersdal reseidents also clashing with each other.

Watch this space for more as this story develops.

Update 22 October: Bekkersdal residents are enraged at apparently being lied to by the office of MEC for Local Government and housing, Nthombi Mekgwe and have vowed to renew their protest actions in Bekkersdal.

Community leaders descended on the West Rand District Municipality this afternoon (22 October) after being promised that President Jacob Zuma himself will intervene in the ongoing crisis in Westonaria, only to find that he was never scheduled to be there.

Gauteng Premiere, Nomvula Mokonyane, who was also apparently scheduled to meet with the residents was apparently locked in a meeting with West Rand District Mayor, Mpho Nawa and did not attend the meeting.

Instead, MEC for Housing and Local Government Nthombi Mekgwe met with the residents and after very briefly and almost in a dismissing manner demanding that the residents provide proof af their accusations against the Westonaria Local Municipality, she took her leave to attend to ‘other urgent matters’.

According to a representative of the Westonaria Concerned Residents, Thabang Wesi, they are, to say the least, offended and insulted at being dismissed in this way.

“We have presented her with this proff that she requires and now all of a sudden she says she did not get it.

“This is a serious matter, but it seems that the powers that be do not realise this.

“Either that or they are just not taking us seriously.”

Wesi says that the news has spread like wildfire throughout Westonaria and that protestors have already begun their renewed efforts.

“It is not acceptable that the people get treated with such contempt by their government.

“The gloves are down now and the will of the people will prevail no matter what.”

When asked if he thinks that violence will erupt anew in Bekkersdal, Wesi said that he was sure it would.

“We do not condone violence, but the people are enraged. They are being marginalised and they do not take this lightly.

“I think this may just have been the last straw.”

22 October: President Jacob Zuma has intervened in the ongoing crisis in the Westonaria Local Municipality which has seen violent service delivery protests cause massive damage over recent months.

According to Westonaria Concerned Residents Association representative, Thabang Wesi, the residents are adamant that they will not settle for anything less than the total dismantlement of the Westonaria Local Municipality.

“We have all the documentation to prove that all is not above board in the municipality.

“We will settle for nothing less””

According to Wesi, the residents have met with the Department of Education late last week and have come to an agreement that even though protest actions continue, all pupils should return to school.

“The protests are going on as we speak. People are blocking the roads and burning tyres.

“This situation needs to come to an end but we will not back down until our demands are met.”

President Zuma is scheduled to meet with the concerned residents at the WRDM offices in Randfontein on 22 October.