WATCH: Cops resort to teargas, rubber bullets in Swaneville housing protest

Public order police had to use teargas, rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse residents of Swaneville near Krugersdorp in Gauteng during a protest on Monday.

The disgruntled residents of Swaneville had gathered in the streets in the morning to express their demands over a lack of housing and crime in the area.

While a few police vehicles and officers are visible on the scene, the protests have intensified with residents throwing stones and setting tyres alight.

The police officers are trying to keep the community members away from the R41 route.

It is reported that their grievances have fallen on deaf ears despite raising their concerns with the Mogale City Local Municipality.

Now they are calling for the government, which has allegedly failed to honour their promise, to provide them with houses for more than 15 years, and President Cyril Ramaphosa to intervene and assist them.

Scene right now in Swaneville, Krugersdorp as police try to clear the protest. pic.twitter.com/xGXiHQdt6A

— Michel Bega (@MichelBega) May 24, 2021

Scene right now in Swaneville, Krugersdorp as police try to clear the protest. pic.twitter.com/qhlB2Ki6Xn

— Michel Bega (@MichelBega) May 24, 2021

However, Mogale City MMC for Public Safety Anna Setswalo-Moja has dismissed the claims that the Swaneville residents have been promised houses since 2005.

“What the community is saying they have been promised the land and houses since 2005 is not true because we have been updating them about the plans of the municipality,” Setswalo-Moja told eNCA.

She indicated that the community members have tried to occupy land in the area illegally in March this year, adding that they were aware of Mogale City’s plans to develop the area.

“The provincial government and the municipality already have a plan…. working together with Absa that they are going to develop this area. We have started at Chief Mogale because Chief Mogale is going to end here… where they wanted to take the land. They [residents] are aware that this land belongs to the municipality working together with the bank so we didn’t allow them to take the land illegally,” Setswalo-Moja said.

Mogale City MMC for Public Safety Anna Setswalo-Moja speaks to #eNCA’s @LindokuhlXulu1 as a protest over a lack of housing continues in Swaneville near Krugersdorp. #DStv403 #AllAngles pic.twitter.com/L5GjkGbdeN

— eNCA (@eNCA) May 24, 2021