Arrests follow protest action

TWO more suspects have been arrested for their alleged involvement in protest action at Thornhill over the Easter weekend, Eastern Cape police said .

Spokesperson, Majola Nkohli, said the two men, one of whom is a ward councillor, were arrested on Sunday after police viewed video footage of the incident.

The latest arrests follow a service delivery protest that took place over the Easter weekend. At the time, police detectives said they were looking for two other suspects after watching video footage taken on the day of the protest action.

The latest arrests are the result of the ongoing investigation after a group of about 200 protesters ran amok and blocked the N2 near Thornhill with burning tyres, cement blocks and branches on March29. Nkohli said the men, aged 42 and 46, would appear in the Patensie Magistrate’s Court today.

He said more arrests were expected.

The two suspects who were arrested on the day of the protest action, Bongani David, 31, and Nkululeko Komna, 43, have already been released on R500 bail each.

Humansdorp Acting Cluster Commander, Colonel Simon Swarts, warned residents to be responsible during protest actions.

“People need to be aware that the burning of tyres on public roads during protest actions constitutes contravention of Act No18 of 2015, and any person who is found guilty for the offence may be sentenced to imprisonment.” – African News Agency (ANA)