Police homes destroyed in violent Bloemhof protests
A total of 12 police homes have now been destroyed
in violent protests after residents of the Boitumelong township in the
Bloemhof area went on the rampage over nepotism and lack of service
delivery in the local ANC government.
According to ofm.co.za, so far a total of twelve houses belonging to police officers have been burned down.
Sabc.co.za
reports the houses of officials of the Lekwa-Teemane municipality and
mayor Moeder Makodi as well as the community hall were also set on fire.
Residents are demanding the dissolution of the municipality.
Protesters disrupted schools, barricaded the N12 with burning tyres,
pelted police with stones and petrol bombed a nyala. Two police officers
were injured and taken to hospital after being pelted with stones. One
officer lost his finger in an attack, says iol.co.za.
According to saps.co.za, the violent Bloemhof protests have been going on since Wednesday, 2 April 2014.
According to Enca.com,
the ANC government responded by saying violent protests are
self-defeating and undemocratic. Cooperative Governance and
Traditional Affairs Minister Lechesa Tsenoli issued a strongly worded
statement condemning the violence.
The ANC called for calm on Tuesday, according to news24.com.
"The ANC condemns acts of provocation, intimidation, public violence and
criminality by some of the protesters," North West provincial secretary
Dakota Legoete said.
"While the public has the constitutional right to protest, these very
rights do not imply that people must be violent, destroy private and
public property, attack police and intimidate others."
Bloemfonteincourant.co.za reports that last night was another night of high level organized chaos.
Another four trucks (lorries) were attacked on the N12 (highway). They
capsized off the road and one of them set alight, bringing the total of
trucks destroyed to eight.
Residents are on the rampage over service delivery issues and corruption and nepotism of the Mayor.
According to ofm.co.za, some residents have fled the town and some businesses closed down.
Protesters have also torched and looted foreign owned tuck shops.
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