POLOKWANE – Members of the South African Police Service’s Public Order Policing Unit fired what seemed to be stun grenades to disperse a crowd of protesters in Westenburg.
Roads in and out of the area were blocked by burning tyres earlier this morning over apparent land claims by residents.
Residents in the Westenburg area blocked parts of Ben Harris Street this morning with burning tyres. The reason for the protest is unknown. This is a developing story. pic.twitter.com/GUnX8QX4zx
— Polokwane Observer (@PolokwaneObserv) August 4, 2023
This resulted in motorists having to find alternative routes.
The police are currently on the scene and a video circulating on social media shows residents running for cover into a house as two loud bangs are heard outside.
The police can be seen armed with guns and attempt to clear the road with shovels as cars pass by.
Ward 19 residents and claimants of land in extension 40 want the Polokwane Municipality to share the land among them.
In 2010, the municipality gave former Disteneng residents the land but interdicted Ward 19 residents from occupying it, as they wanted a portion of it, a resident told the Polokwane Observer.
The claimants were removed from Disteneng by the municipality because it allegedly wanted to preserve the land for industrial purposes.
However, after their removal, the protesters say it was sold to a private investor who turned it into a residential area.
Read the full story in next week’s Observer.
