Chaos erupted on the bridge between Klipspruit West and Extension Nine after a cable was stolen for the sixth time this year.
Residents of Klipspruit West accuse residents from the informal settlement in Kliptown of stealing the cables.
They pelted stones at each other while police attempted to restore calm by firing rubber bullets.
One man was shot in his cheek with a rubber bullet.
The Klipspruit community also threw stones at police as they felt the police were showing favouritism to the Kliptown community.
Cement was previously laid over the cables by contactors but according to Marlon Ebrahim, not the entire cable was covered.
He also alleges that contractors work with cable thieves.
“A backup cable is situated in a different location, nobody knew where that cable is excepting the contractors.
“That cable wasn’t touched for two years until the beginning of January when it was stolen,” Ebrahim says.
Residents of Klipspruit later moved further up the road, blocking it and stoning passing vehicles or demanding money from motorists to pass through.
A Johannesburg Metro Police car’s windows were smashed, police vehicles were stoned and damaged and an innocent driver’s windscreen was cracked and back window broken.
Power has since been restored.
