Duduza – Four members of the community were arrested for public violence on Thursday evening.
This is after they blocked Lekope and Ramaphosa streets with rocks and burning tyres and threw stones at oncoming traffic, demanding to be absorbed in the Spaarwater water project.
The group has been protesting since the beginning of this year when a constructor was appointed.
Amongst those arrested was the group leader, Tebogo Boiyane.
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Duduza police spokesperson Sgt Harry Manaka confirmed that the four were arrested and will appear before the Nigel Magistrate’s Court on Friday.
“On Thursday morning, we spoke to the group leaders and urged them to apply for a public gathering permit.
“We also explained to them that their gathering should not be of more than 100 people because of the latest outbreak of the Covid-19.
“They promised to divide themselves into smaller groups and apply for the permit.
“Unfortunately, they went on to mobilise more people and took to the streets without following any of our requests,” he says.
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Community leader Hope Lwazi says they decided to take to the streets because they have exhausted all measures to address the challenges.
“All we want is a fair chance for all residents to apply for job opportunities and to receive sub-constructing opportunities.
“We cannot have the same people always given the opportunity to provide services while others are overlooked.”
Lwazi added that they also decided to protest because some of the vocal residents were kidnapped and assaulted.
Manaka says no case of kidnapping has been laid at the police station.
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