SAPS and metro cops aim to quell protests

THE SAPS and the Johannesburg Metro Police have formed a joint operation to restore order in the city’s protest-torn south townships, mayor Herman Mashaba said.

“According to reports, the protesters are calling for new housing projects, enhanced service delivery and economic development,” Mashaba said yesterday.

“Tragically, the legitimate concerns of communities have been hijacked by criminal elements who would seek to use the protests for their own needs. A number of shops have been looted and businesses negatively affected which further impacts on economic opportunities within these communities.”

Protests that started in Eldorado Park on Monday spread to other townships such as Kliptown, Orange Farm and Ennerdale. Residents barricaded roads with rocks and burning tyres, vowing to protest until their demands were met. Shops were looted and damaged, mostly at night. Mashaba said with a housing backlog of at least 300 000 there was “no quick fix” to the city’s housing problems.

“We hear their plea for dignified housing and economic opportunities. I will be contacting Gauteng Premier David Makhura to formulate means by which local and provincial government can work together to address the needs of Eldorado Park community and others.” He said that a meeting with community leaders was planned. – ANA

PICTURE: AP UNREST: A protester holds up a brick in Ennerdaletownship on Tuesday. Violent protests have erupted in Johannesburg for a second day, with police firing rubber bullets at demonstrators who blocked roads and burned tyres.