Protest sparks chaos

THE national leadership of the ANC has blasted the Nelson Mandela Bay municipality, saying city bosses were irresponsible and deliberately agitated Walmer township residents in their handling of the electricity crisis in the area.

Angry residents went on the rampage early yesterday, burning tyres and rubbish as they blocked off Heugh Road, causing chaos during rush-hour on major Walmer roads.

Yesterday's protests came barely two weeks after shack dwellers from the township ran riot in the streets after municipal workers disconnected illegal electricity connections.

By 9am the group, at the corner of 10th Avenue and Heugh Road, had started throwing stones at police.

Police then fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse the crowd, which moved down the road to join another group.

The angry residents, mostly the youth, were armed with sticks and stones. They stopped cars from going through to the township, as well as some people going to work. - Nwabisa Makunga and Yoliswa Sobuwa