Calm restored in Mandlazini
High police presence in the Mandlanzini community after violent and destructive protest action.
POLICE are on high alert in Mandlanzini after having diffused a violent protest this morning when angry protesters torched the community hall and barricaded the road by burning tyres.
According to Richards Bay SAPS spokesperson Captain Debbie Ferreira, a large police contingent was deployed to the area in the early hours of today and they are still on scene monitoring the situation.
More than 40 residents were arrested during the protest action and taken to the Richards Bay Police Station. Police are yet to confirm the charges.
The community hall is a designated voting station.
It is believed the protest action commenced after 3am with hundreds of community members calling for responses to their service delivery issues which were raised with the City of uMhlathuze and uThungulu District Municipality more than three weeks ago.
They threatened not to vote if their concerns such as lack of tarred roads, no electricity and lack of public amenities were not addressed.
Police incepted the crowd as they were heading to Birdswood and the community members headed back to the community hall which they subsequently set alight, damaging the building as well as equipment used for community projects that were stored inside the premises.
Services at the community clinic were suspended and high school pupils were seen walking to school after 10am.
VIDEO: Clinic services have been suspended as emergency services used the clinic entrance to douse the fire at the hall.
The Mandlazini area is one of the places that is lacking when it comes to community development, it has at least two proper things which are the clinic and the community hall. and the rest is something else, the road, you can swear that the mode of transport that operate there are buses and lorry. yes the community members were wrong when they destroy the community hall, vandalising of the property isn’t going to help anything but it going to make things worse for the community. but seriously something must be done in that community.
What happened at mandlazini was so sad at this time special ,but we mustn’t blame community because the councils benefiting an they forget about the people who voted.counselors pull up socks’ for community plss plsss to avoide disorder
We’ll never stop supporting each ada in mandlanzini untill our voice is heard.last and not least the ruling party in mandlanzn must show up now things are getting worst please please.
Concernd
Sometimes u need to think before u do things .ngeke u damage enye into ukuze uthole enye . Kumele uzifundise ukulinda ,ngoba uhulumini uyeza and akabheke indawo eyodwa,this bed kumele sikhule bantu ,singasetshenziswa abantu abatheze
Eish kubi okwezeke emandlazini. Ngingumhlali wasecurrent nathi asinawo ugesi since 2002 ngihlalala. Bt sisabekezele, kodwa sesiside lesisikhath angicabangi imeya ingahlala isikht esingakayona ibekezele. Siyazi nokuth ofanele ukuzofaka ugesi ubanjwe yiyo imeya. Okubuhlungu ukuth abayovota abaningi bathi abayocekela phansi ivoti kubuhlungu kim coz bekumele siwuthole omunye u20yearz. Nabantu ebesimunye nabo sebeqembukele kwamanye amaqembu ngenxa yokungalutholi usizo kumeya esamvotela.