■ Protesters blockaded roads and burnt a number of buses, buildings and an informal settlement in Lephalale, Limpopo police said on Tuesday.
"What we can confirm is that buses were burnt, the municipal offices and the location Marapong was burnt and also a satellite police station," Lieutenant Colonel Malesela Ledwaba said.
He said the incident happened on Monday night, but it was not clear why people were protesting.
"They are not protesting as of now. It was just a number of people who gathered and they blockaded the roads and then from there they disappeared," Ledwaba said.
http://m.news24.com/news24/SouthAfrica/News/Lephalale-protesters-burn-buses-municipal-office-20150908■ Protesters 'angry that locals no longer have jobs'
At least 20 buses contracted to transport Medupi construction workers were set alight on Monday evening, apparently by disgruntled former workers at Marapong township in Lephalale.
Locals said a group of protesters - mainly former power station workers who had been dismissed - started protesting in the evening, barricading roads with various objects, and marched to the local police station where they set it alight and also burnt municipal offices.
Some of the burnt buses.
Witnesses said they overheard protesters complaining that they had been dismissed and were not allowed to return, and that only people from outside of the area were now working at the power station construction site.
The protest was said to have started slowly but within hours there was a huge blaze and an explosion was heard.
“They are angry that local people are no longer having jobs and people from outside are [still] working, most of them were expelled by companies [contracted] to Eskom,” said one witness.
More than 2 000 construction workers had been protesting against their dismissal in March this year. Their access cards to the construction site were disabled.
Police said Public Order officers were deployed to the area to monitor the situation. But locals said the protesters have since disappeared.
Police spokesperson Malesela Ledwaba said no one has been arrested and the investigations are ongoing.
Ledwaba said there had been “huge damage” to the municipal offices, buses and police station but the cost thereof had not yet been determined
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Protesters-angry-that-locals-no-longer-have-jobs-20150908?isapp=true
■ Protests simmering at Limpopo mine
The atmosphere around Anglo American’s Mogalakwena platinum mine was still tense following days of violent protests which broke out in the area, Limpopo police said on Monday.
A total of 36 people had been arrested for public violence and malicious damage to property since last week Sunday, spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto said.
Members of the Public Order Policing unit were still monitoring and patrolling the area.
"The situation is still tense. There are still several roads inside the villages that are blocked, but the main roads are open."
She said residents had been blockading the roads leading to the mines since last week for a number of reasons.
On Monday afternoon, dozens of villagers who live near the mine agreed to disrupt mining activity until the mine's management agreed to meet with them.
Villagers near the company's open cast mine at Mapela, a village north-west of Polokwane, were protesting against the resolution that saw their children, who were attending school at Seritarita Secondary school, moved to another school in a neighbouring village.
They were moved from the school because of the effects the mine's blasting activities would have on them. Seritarita was operating close to the mine. The pupils were now being transported to a state-of-the-art school built by the company in Leruleng.
'Children were being used as pawns'
The protesters were also demanding that the mine and construction company consider hiring locals. They accused Anglo American of neglecting their children and failing to provide transport.
Community leader Charles Phaahla said they wanted a meeting with the company. He said the community was also angry that some companies contracted to the mine brought their own workers from elsewhere.
Since the protest started, a local clinic built by the mine and Langa Traditional Council Offices have been set alight.
In addition to the damage, a truck was set a light along the N11 while transporting potatoes from local farms.
The protest also stalled schooling in the area, a process the education department said was worrying and costly.
Provincial education spokesperson Naledzani Rasila said the children were being used as pawns in the battle between the mine and the community.
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Protests-simmering-at-Limpopo-mine-20150907?isapp=true
■ Winterveld protesters take to the streets over power cuts
Residents of Winterveld, north of Pretoria, are barricading roads and burning tyres in protest against electricity problems in the area.
Resident Kedibone Seloane told News 24 that people were "causing chaos".
"It's getting dark and it's getting very dangerous. There are lots and lots of people."
Seloane said power went out in the area late on Friday night.
"It came back late yesterday, but went off again this morning. That is why the people are protesting."
Police spokesperson Sarah Lesebane confirmed there was a protest, however she said "things are not out of control".
"Police are monitoring the situation."
http://www.news24.com/SouthAfrica/News/Winterveld-protesters-take-to-the-streets-over-power-cuts-20150908?isapp=true
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