Motherwell protests heats up

A bus and police car were stoned and a truck torched during the ongoing service delivery protest in Motherwell.

The protest, which is mainly taking place on the R334, started on Thursday morning and has already seen four people arrested.

The unrest is linked to a service delivery protest between the Nelson Mandela Bay Municipality and residents in Motherwell's NU29. 

Police spokesperson Captain André Beetge said that while most of the protesters had been dispersed, there were still pockets of them disrupting traffic.

The latest incident took place on Friday morning when a bus from the  Algoa Bus Company was damaged when a group of protesters pelted it with stones.

“The bus was travelling in Tyinira Street at about 7am. According to the driver, protesters threw stones at the bus, breaking all the windows. The driver fled and left the bus on the scene,” Beetge said.

“The group then attempted to torch the bus, but police managed to get there while the flames were still spreading and extinguished the fire with buckets of water." 

According to Beetge, residents also blocked the R334 with burning tyres, rocks and rubble about two hours before the bus incident.

“The crowd was dispersed and the road reopened.  A police car was  however damaged when the protesters started throwing rocks," he said.

At about 8.30pm on Thursday, a truck travelling on the R334 from Uitenhage was torched – also by protesters.

“The truck was travelling towards Coega when rocks in the road forced the driver to stop. The truck then got pelted with stones and the driver attempted to turn the truck around,” Beetge said.

“The group of stone-throwers then stormed the truck, prompting the driver and his passenger to get out and abandon the scene." 

Beetge said within minutes, the truck was torched.

“The truck was completely gutted by the fire,” he added.

In another incident at about 1am on Friday in Nxuba Street, Wells Estate, ward 60 councillor Mvuso Mbeleka’s Nissan X-Trail was torched.

“The councillor was awakened by a loud bang. When he went outside, he saw his car on fire. His attempts to douse the flames failed,” Beetge said.

Asked if the incident was linked to the ongoing protests, Beetge said it would be investigated by the police.

“At this stage, the motive is unknown and is subject to investigation,” he said.

The four suspects, aged between 28 and 35, who were arrested on Thursday, will appear in the Motherwell magistrate's court on Monday for public violence and destruction of essential infrastructure.