45 arrested and more to follow on the Barberton uproar
It has been more than four weeks now, yet the unrest continues to unfold in Barberton as the community members burnt and vandalized yet another municipal building.
A community hall was burnt on Tuesday night. 45 suspects unrest have been arrested ever since the protests started and police have been deployed all around the area.
Provincial Commissioner, Lt Gen Mondli Zuma and MEC for Community Safety, Security and Liaison, Gabisile Shabalala visited the hall and it has been officially declared a crime scene on Wednesday afternoon.
“These are criminal acts, it has nothing to do with the concerns they have been raising. How do you burn the municipal pay-point, community hall and the facility for the elderly care if you have certain demands of you not wanting not to fall under a certain municipality,” said Zuma.
Shabalala pleaded with the community members to help work with them in uncovering the criminals so that they can be able to deal with them according to the law.
“We plead with community members to distance themselves from lawbreakers as, if you are found with them, you will be arrested too. This unrest is affecting scholars, help us to uncover these people,” said Shabalala.
“The issues of service delivery will be dealt with by the relevant department as we are a government of the people,” she ended.
Investigations pertaining how, when and what started the fires are still on-going.
Scholars were expected to go back to school today (Thursday).
