Protest disrupts KZN traffic

PUBLIC order police were kept busy from 5am yesterday after groups of protesters barricaded roads with burning tyres and blocked access at various toll roads in KwaZulu-Natal.

SAPS spokesman Colonel Thembeka Mbhele said police were deployed to Marianhill‚ Mtunzini‚ Mvoti and the Tongaat toll plazas in the early hours yesterday.

She said traffic was slow but that the police were keeping protesters off the roads.

Social media sites‚ including Traffic KZN‚ warned motorists about delays and blockages as well as potential danger from protesters, who were breaking bottles and burning tyres.

The protest action comes after a social media warning that the South African National Roads Agency Limited (Sanral) had received a protest action notification from staff that they would embark on a strike at the various toll gates in KZN.

However‚ the staff grievance is between Intertoll‚ the company that manages toll plazas‚ and workers.

Sanral said it noted with “concern” that a labour dispute between one of its contractors and its employees threatened traffic disruption close to some of its toll plazas.

“We are concerned when there are labour issues that impact negatively on our national road network and toll operations.

“We can assure the public that processes are in place to contain further issues should the labour dispute continue. The toll operator‚ Intertoll‚ and the police are involved‚” said Sanral spokesman Vusi Mona. —