Johannesburg — Police in Johannesburg were forced to intervene after the residents at the Diepkloof Hostel blocked off the N1 and N12 highway with tyres and burning rocks.
The area is now calm after Johannesburg Metro Police Department (JMPD) officers clashed with the protestors, who threw rocks and other objects at them. JMPD fired rubber bullets to fend off the crowds, The Citizen reported.
JMPD spokesperson Xolani Fihla said officers are monitoring the area.
“Officers were deployed overnight and this morning and they’ve encountered resistance from hostel dwellers who are pelting stones at passing vehicles.The situation remains tense and police remain on high alert and are closely monitoring the development at the hostel,” Fihla said.
Fihla said the highway has been opened but advised motorists to approach the area with caution.
The Johannesburg Metro Police Department is on high alert in the Diepkloof area after residents threw rocks and other objects at law enforcement officers and motorists today. Newzroom Afrika’s @NqobileMadlala_ has more.
Watch: https://t.co/KgYK04o7RM#Newzroom405 pic.twitter.com/mpba975n0M
— Newzroom Afrika (@Newzroom405) March 18, 2024
Residents from hostel took to the streets to protest the poor service delivery in the area, barricading roads off with burning tyres and rocks.
Residents have grown increasingly frustrated with the poor service delivery in the area and protested against the poor quality of housing and the inhumane conditions of their toilets. Water and electricity has been restored but the conditions remain poor, SABC News reported. ‘
Community leaders in the hostel say they have attempted to communicate with the office of the Premier and the Mayor of Johannesburg, but they have not received any response.
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Compiled by Matthew Petersen
