ALTHOUGH warnings were issued late yesterday of the strong possibility of protests on the N2 between Hluhluwe and Jozini today, all roads have been quiet, bar short-lived unrest near Jozini.

In the early hours of this morning, protesters gathered on the road to Jozini, leaving the N2 unaffected, burning tyres on the side of the road.

According to the Public Order Policing (POP) unit, community members were protesting over the many stolen vehicles that make their way across the border into Mozambique. T

he protesters ran away when POP unit police officers arrived on scene at about 2am today.

uMkhanyakude District has been in the grip of violent protests since the end of last month, from Ubombo in the north to KwaMsane and Mtubatuba in the south and the R22 Hluhluwe to Sodwana Bay road in the east.

While all began as service delivery protests, with protesters rioting over water and housing shortages and poor roads, some, like the KwaMsane and Jozini unrest, changed tack, becoming about alleged leadership issues at Mtubatuba Municipality and cross-border vehicle theft respectively.

Authorities have urged motorists to be vigilant when travelling through northern KZN and to keep abreast of the situation.