Here come the looters’ – Middelburg to become second Vuwani?

Community Alerts/Lorraine Kakaza/Carolina-Mpumalanga/17 Oct 17

Protests are being planned all over Middelburg in objection to the appointment of Theo van Vuuren as the municipal manager of the Steve Tshwete Municipality.

Yaseen Gaffar | 16 hours ago

A stern warning last Thursday when tyres were lit in front of the STLM(Steve Tshwete Local Municipality) building after rumors of an outside appointment as Municipal Manager, surfaced.

Residents, politicians from opposition parties, some ANC members and community leaders have voiced strong opposition to the appointment, calling on the Mpumalanga Premier to reverse the decision
Source: Local Newspaper-Middleburg Observer

follow up

Calm returns to eMbalenhle after violent protests yesterday

According to reports, a municipal building and trucks were torched.

Sifiso Mathebula | 24 hours ago

Calm returned to eMbalenhle after violent protests yesterday, 16 October.

Most roads have been cleared, public transport is operating and schools are expected to resume.

The Govan Mbeki Municipality confirmed that a safe with an undisclosed amount of money was stolen in the main office before it was torched.

An unconfirmed number of protesters who were arrested yesterday, are expected to appear in the Evander Magistrates’s Court today.

These protesters are facing various charges, including

Sasol Charlie 3 was also torched earlier yesterday, and the road was closed by Sasol Security for a couple of hours.

Municipal buildings and three Somalian owned shops in Extension 8, 4 and 17 have been torched, looted and some burned

According to Capt Zondo, Taifa Joint, the previous municipal manager, Mr Mmela Mahlangu’s business, has also been torched in eMbalenhle. Read the story here.

According to our journalist on scene, a large number of protesters was arrested.

Angry protesters were planning to march on the R546 between eMbalenhle and Evander.

Secunda Mall closed its gates as precautionary safety method yesterday.

People were looting and breaking shops in eMbalenhle as part of the protest.

Taifa Joint was been torched in eMbalenhle.

Unconfirmed reports stated that all municipal employees at the Secunda Govan Mbeki municipal offices were being evacuated because a crowd from eMbalenhle was apparently threatening to torch the building.

Angry protesters have been blocking roads in eMbalenhle since 15 October.

According to reports a municipal building and trucks was torched.

(Photo: Jaco Horn, Secunda 911 Assist Zello channel and GTR Towing).

Source: the ridge local newspaper