Mbombela CBD declared a no-go area by Lowveld Security Joint Operation Command
The Mbombela CBD and entry routes have been closed off by protesters
The Lowveld Security Joint Operations Command (JOC) has been activated due to protest action that has closed off multiple roads around the City.
News about the protests came through to the JOC just after 01:00 this morning, and specific routes have already been identified.
These include where the R104 out of Mbombela joins the N4, as well as the intersection further on near the Sasol garage about 2km from Karino.
Taxis have reportedly blocked off the police station in Bester Street.
The R40 at the Bosch Street off-ramp has also been blocked off, as well as Andrew Street, Wolfaardt Street and the Plaston Road.
The fuel depot at Platsak has been blocked off, as well.
Bosch Street at the SAB Breweries is closed, as is the intersection between SARS and the Crossing Centre on the R40.
The intersection at Garden City Motor Truck division has also been blocked off.
It is as yet unclear for what cause the protest is occurring.
The Mpumalanga SAPS is busy on the scene in the process of clearing some of the roads and dealing with protesters.
The Lowveld JOC is made up of Hi-Tech’s Frank Swanepoel, Vernon Lancaster and Callum mac Pherson, ACS’s John Meintjies, Bossies Community Justice’s Albert Gryvenstein, and Fidelity/ADT’s Shaun Terblanche.
The JOC has urged the community to avoid the sharing of unverified information. It advised the public to contact their security companies to get the correct information on the situation, or to follow the official channels: Lowvelder, Radio Laeveld, and the Facebook pages of Hi-Tech Nelspruit, CPF Nelspruit, Nelspruit Concerned Citizens and Bossies Community Justice.
This is a developing story. Lowvelder will keep its readers informed.
