VIDEO: City warns of protest hot spots

ETHEKWINI Municipality has issued an urgent warning to residents, motorists and commuters of violent protest action on major roads in Durban. This follows after the City received reports early this morning that a group of furious residents from different wards had barricaded roads by burning vehicles and tyres.

Tozi Mthethwa, eThekwini municipality’s head of communications, said roads that were blockaded included: Newlands East/Nandi Drive, Nandi Drive/Quarry Heights, North Coast Road/Nandi Drive, North Coast/Nandi Drive and the M19/ Mount Batten Drive.

She urged all residents to drive with caution and to avoid the above mentioned roads.

“Investigations have revealed the protest is of a political nature, and is not service delivery related. Metro Police, Disaster Management and Operation Sukuma Sakhe/ Rapid Response officials were immediately dispatched to the affected areas and are on the ground to collect information from protesting residents. City law enforcement is also on site to reroute traffic and to ensure the safety of motorists and residents,” Mthethwa said.

In the run up to the local government elections, Mayor James Nxumalo acknowledged that people are free to exercise their constitutional rights by voicing their concerns; however, he said residents should do so in a peaceful manner without damaging property, injuring law-abiding citizens or blockading roads, thus preventing others from going to school and work.

People working on the Berea had to wait hours before they could leave their Durban North homes in order to get to the City and Berea suburbs after Chris Hani, the M19 and Nandi Drive were closed. A nurse from St Augustine’s Hospital told Berea Mail protesters had come close to her home while barricading roads with large stones and rubbish.