Eleven suspects are expected to appear in the Ficksburg Magistrate’s Court on Friday to face charges related to violent service delivery protests that erupted in the small Free State town where roads were blocked and a vehicle set alight.
Police have reportedly advised the town’s schools to remain closed for the day after violent protesters allegedly burned a municipal truck, raided a home affairs office and stoned a public order policing (POP) vehicle.
According to a traffic and crime High Alert social media group, the situation remained volatile into the afternoon at 13.30 yesterday.
On the Maluti Road/R26 Clocolan crossing about 750 people were barricading the road with stones and burning tyres, and allegedly stoned a public order policing vehicle.
“At Meqheleng entrance, Moloto road about 100 people throwing POP vehicles with stones roads barricaded. Rubber was used situation is very tense. POP is dealing with the situation few arrest were made,” the report said on the group.
“POP still monitoring the situation … Situation is tense,” the report said.
SAPS provincial spokesperson Sergeant Peter Kareli said police had arrested 11 suspects during the unrest in the town.
"Eleven people were arrested for public violence and will appear in the Ficksburg Magistrate Court on Monday. It is the responsibility of the Department of Education to make a decision about whether schools stay open or not. We can, however, confirm that schooling has been disturbed since yesterday due to the protest action," Kareli said.
Local DA Councillor Riette Dell said the town was calm on Friday morning but a precaution to close schools had been taken after police arrested 11 suspects in connection with the violent protests.
“As a precautionary measure for today’s court appearance regarding yesterday’s arrests, SAPS recommended that schools be closed for today. The SAPS is currently monitoring the situation. Conditions are calm and under control,” Dell said.
“The home affairs office in Meqheleng was raided and burned, which is devastating to the community as it services the whole community. Eleven people were arrested. They are appearing in court this morning,” Dell said.
She condemned the protests saying the party in the Setsoto Local Municipality that governs the town was “firmly opposing the shutdown” as it was not a legal protest.
“While we understand and empathise with the community's frustrations regarding their demands and the lack of service delivery, we cannot endorse or support this particular endeavour,” she said.
“The DA is committed to amplifying the grievances of the community as outlined in the call for the shutdown. We will strive to ensure that these concerns are heard and addressed in the council,” Dell said.
Residents have alleged in a memorandum to the municipality that it has not allocated any formalised housing since 1994, that it lacks basic services, and it has not dealt with an ongoing sewage problem in the town.
“We urge the municipality to attend to people’s needs. Our community is suffocating in sewages that have flooded our streets,” a memorandum notice warning about the shutdown reads.
“We need a 24-hour clinic, a police station in the location, and access roads,” the notice said.
Dell added that the municipality had hosted a delegation from the National Department of Water and Sanitation last month to inspect the sewage problem and local government was now working to fix the infrastructure.
A member of the Transit Assistance Bureau (Transist), responsible for fuel shipments into Lesotho, posted footage of burning objects early on Thursday morning. Border supply chain operators transporting exports from South Africa to Lesotho were warned to proceed with caution along the R26.
