The protest got under control in Emalahleni

Community Alert/Susan Moraba/Mpumalanga/19 January 2017

In Mpumalanga, Highveld region in Nkangala district under Emalahleni known as the city of coal, the year started with a misty mood as the community of Vosman blocked the main entrance to the locations of Vosman and surroundings (Ezinambeni – all zones), this took place on the 9th of January as news flashback that EVRAZ Highveld Steel & Vanadium is re opening. On the 12th of January at Emalahleni Numsa Hall, a meeting with all ex-employees of Evraz Highveld had a meeting and on the 16th January 2017 the Vosman community of youth and unemployment residence stormed the day with a massive violation of a protest that shook the Emalahleni in the early hours of the day whereby all the entrances to the locations of all the zones, at the freeway (N12) and at the Locations (ackerville, kwa-guqa) as protesters demand employment. It became more violent that the KG Mall was closed down and gates locked as Police were on guard because the protesters went inside with the purpose of looting and vandalising property, Police were thrown by stones, bricks and the roads were blocked with stones, burning tyres and wood, with waste material and police used teargas to disperse the protestors and open way for the traffic. As violent as the protest I couldn’t take pictures.