Jackaroo Park water protest update – young woman still in hospital
The young woman was hit by a car when she wanted to cross the road during the water protest at Jackaroo Park.
The young woman who was struck by a car during the water protest yesterday is still in hospital.
According to her family, Tinah Mlangeni is still in a lot of pain, but there is an improvement.
Mlangeni was flung in the air when a car sped through the burning tyres placed on the R555, and hit her.
With the impact, the burning tyres fell on her and she was engulfed in flames.
A member of the public immediately ripped Mlangeni’s burning clothes off her body.
First aider and member of SACCW, Christell Oberholzer started treating her wounds with burnshields.
Because of the long queues of traffic that built up, emergency services could not get to the scene, and Mlangeni’s family could not get her to the hospital because their car was also stuck between the bundle of vehicles.
Jackaroo Park water protest – traffic is back to normal after earlier disruptions https://t.co/OTHytsJf1R#water #emalahleni @WitbankN
— WitbankNews (@WitbankN) July 20, 2025
A truck turning onto the R555 from the Blancheville side also obstructed traffic because it could not turn.
The driver of the truck was assaulted when a motorist accused him of bumping his vehicle.
The water protest, intended to shine a light on the community’s plea for water, turned into a volatile situation within seconds.
Tempers flared up, and a man was seen wielding a gun at motorists as they tried to cross the barricaded road.
SEE THE VIDEO: Clrs Thabang Mathebula and Maureen Scheeepers are trying to explain why the water outage can’t be postponed.
The angry crowd was dispersed and gathered at the Puma Garage, where ward councillor, Maureen Scheepers, and the MMC for Technical Services and Infrastructure, Clr Thabang Mathebula, surrounded by a strong police presence, tried to engage with the residents and give feedback over the water situation.
Police had to throw two stun grenades as the angry crowd grew agitated, which created a threat to the safety of Scheepers and Mathebula.
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