Roodepoort protest action spills onto Albertina Sisulu Rd, truck set alight

Albertina Sisulu Road in Roodepoort was temporarily closed to traffic on Thursday afternoon after protesters allegedly set a long-haul truck alight, reports the Roodepoort Record.

At about 2pm a fire truck arrived and put out the blaze. It is alleged that the truck driver fled the scene.

Motorists were temporarily advised to avoid the area until further notice.

This comes after chaos broke out in the areas surrounding Princess Informal Settlement in Roodepoort on Wednesday night.

According to a senior Roodepoort police officer, who spent the night trying to contain the chaos, one man was murdered by an angry mob, allegedly for being a “well-known criminal”.

It is rumoured that he was necklaced but this could not be confirmed by the police. Various businesses along Albertina Sisulu Road were petrol-bombed and both the police and fire brigade had to put out the fires.

At one business, a man who was trapped inside had to be rescued. A housing complex was also attacked, and the security guard’s station was destroyed. Residents could also hear shots being fired during the night.

Albertina Sisulu Road and South Road were closed, causing traffic chaos on Thursday morning.

TimesLive reports the protesting residents demand access to flats which are newly built.

– Caxton News Service

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