Pockets of protests flaring up

Police are monitoring ongoing protests which flared up around the Eastern Cape on Tuesday morning.

People are protesting along the R331 between Patensie and Hankey as well as along the N2 in Butterworth.

By 8:30am, about 60 people attempted to block Jijana Street in Wells Estate amid claims that they were excluded from a municipal project.

The N2 in Butterworth has since been opened as well as Jijana Street.

Police have established a Joint Operations Centre to monitor and respond to the outbreaks.

According to officials, sporadic incidents of protests are erupting in various areas.

Several protests have taken place over the past week in what appears to be a series of service delivery related protests.

Police spokesperson Sergeant Majola Nkohli said police were attending to the R331 protest and advised motorists to use an alternative route.

Police arrested seven people for participating in violent protest action between Hankey and Patensie which led to the R331 being blocked with burning tyres, cement blocks and tree branches, Nkohli said on Monday.