Ermelo - The Mpumalanga Department of Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs (Cogta) has condemned the violent protests in the Msukaligwa local municipality.
Since Sunday afternoon, residents of Wesselton township near Ermelo have blockaded all the entrances to the township. They also damaged traffic lights and clashed with the police.
Thirty-three people were arrested, including a 16-year-old minor, on charges of public violence.
Cogta spokesperson Simphiwe Kunene said the department or the local municipality don't yet know why the protests erupted, but condemned them in the strongest possible terms.
"We condemn the protests in the strongest possible terms, and we call upon law enforcement agencies to act and arrest those who are vandalising private and government property," said Kunene.
Spokesperson for the Msukaligwa local municipality, Surprise Ngcongo, said the protests had nothing to do with the municipality, but that residents wanted the ruling ANC to listen more to their problems.
Protesters have barricaded all entry to the Wesselton township and people have not been going to work since Monday.
"To protect our staff, we have decided to suspend operations by pulling our technical staff from their posts," said Ngcongo.
National ANC spokesperson Jackson Mthembu released a statement on Tuesday, also condemning the protests.
"Whilst the leadership of the ANC acknowledges the challenges and the right of citizens to voice their concerns, there is no justification whatsoever for the communities to destroy government and private property. Blocking of roads and destruction of public property, which costs taxpayers millions -- such acts cannot be condoned," he said.
Mthembu said the ANC appreciated the swift action by police in Ermelo for having restored stability in the areas and warned anyone seeking to engage in further forms of violence to expect the full might of the law.
"The ANC wishes to assure all South Africans that genuine service delivery concerns are receiving urgent attention at the ANC's highest decision-making body, the National Executive Committee. The ANC-led government is a caring organization, hence we have launched a hotline in the Presidency of the Republic of South Africa, which serves as a platform for people to express thoughts and concerns. Through this, we will continue with our quest to remove all service delivery concerns in Mpumalanga and elsewhere in the country," added Mthembu.
Meanwhile, Captain Hlathi said seven other people were arrested in Machadodorp on Tuesday morning after a truck was burnt, roads were barricaded and petrol bombs were flung at police vehicles.
"The situation is still tense in both areas and the police are patrolling the streets," Hlathi said.
