Intense protest hits tiny KZN town of Dundee
Riot police dispatched to the small town were overwhelmed by the number of protesters.
Yesterday’s Dundee protests overwhelmed police, as irate residents demanded to hand over a memorandum to the municipality.
Yesterday’s protest action in Dundee, expressing impatience with the mayor, the delays in promised housing projects, alleged corruption, appointments in the municipality and other issues, resulted in damage to road signs and other infrastructure in the small KwaZulu-Natal (KZN) town of Dundee, Northern Natal Courier reports.
There were also reports of protesters hurling stones at cars. Some people were prevented from going to work, and police used stun grenades, plastic bullets and tear gas in a bid to quell the angry crowds.
READ MORE: Man burned alive during violent KZN protest
Shops closed in central Dundee as groups of protesters moved up and down the central area. A representative from the premier’s office did apparently arrive in the late afternoon to address the crowd at the municipality, where a memorandum was read out and accepted. At least five schools closed early as many schoolchildren joined the march.
Aerial footage of the protest revealed the extent of the anger:
Numerous people also reported seeing schoolchildren, still in uniform, take to the streets, brandishing street signs and rocks.
They allegedly burned tyres outside Ethangeni Combined School, where a large group gathered yesterday afternoon.
An official from the premier’s office responded to the protest, and promptly arrived at the Endumeni Municipality to receive a memorandum from the organisers of the protest.
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