[PHOTOS] Woman describes protest drama

OFFICE workers, including a Bluff woman, fled their offices as police hurled tear gas to keep protestors at bay this morning, 5 June.

Hundreds of protestors took the streets in KwaMashu and Newlands, burning tyres and cars and attacking people as they blocked off roads. One man was shot by protestors on North Coast Road at about 10.30am. He was treated by Netcare911 paramedics and taken to hospital.

People were left cowering inside office buildings as the mob of angry protestors threw rocks and other projectiles at their windows.

A long-time Bluff resident who works on Queen Nandi Drive described the scene as was terrifying.

“We saw people block the intersection in front of our building. They were burning tyres and then things started getting further out of hand – they smashed a window at our office. More police arrived and shot tear gas canisters at them. It was really loud,” she said.

Seeing their chance to get out safely, the employees rushed from the building while the protestors were distracted by the police.

“Most of them left but we had heard they planned to return later, so we decided to leave.”

According to the municipality, the protest was politically motivated by people unhappy with the ward candidate list for the upcoming elections.

“In the run-up to the local government elections, Mayor James Nxumalo acknowledges that people are free to exercise their constitutional rights by voicing their concerns, however residents should do so in a peaceful manner without damaging property, injuring law-abiding citizens or blockading roads, thus preventing others from going to school and work,” read a statement issued by the municipality.

SAPS KZN media spokesman, Captain Nqobile Gwala said in the early hours of the morning, protesters complaining about service delivery blockaded North Coast Road, the M25, roads leading to KwaMashu and most of the roads leading into and out of Durban. Police officers were deployed in those affected areas to calm the situation.

Motorists in the affected areas were turned away or stuck in traffic for hours.

Metro Police, disaster management and Operation Sukuma Sakhe/Rapid Response officers were on scene collecting information and traffic was rerouted.