Durban - Violent protesters spent Monday in running battles with police, closing down parts of Durban and causing millions of rands in damage by burning cars, damaging buildings and throwing rocks at passing motorists.
One man was shot and wounded.
Business areas around Chris Hani (North Coast) Road, Nandi Drive in Newlands East and Quarry Heights, the M19, Electron Road and Mountbatten Drive were all affected.
Community members said the protests were due to dissatisfaction with the selection of ANC ward councillor candidates for the August elections.
The action appeared to have been organised and co-ordinated as at least one community watch organisation posted a Facebook message on Sunday night to alert people to planned protests, and protesters on Monday were aware of groups mobilised in other areas.
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At the Queen Nandi Drive turn-off, police and private security personnel were locked in a tense stand-off with protesters who refused to let anyone pass.
After a burst of gunfire and screeching of tyres a 32-year-old protester, Mmeli Khawula, was rushed to safety after he was shot in the stomach.
The details of the shooting were scant, but Khawula’s friend, 23-year-old Phiwe Ngubane, said it seemed that a lone shooter had opened fire at random.
Khawula was taken to hospital by ambulance.
Meanwhile, near Sea Cow Lake, several businesses and the Department of Health’s central provincial laundry were vandalised.
Sagren Gounden of Wind Motors, which deals with accident-damaged cars, put the cost of the damage to his business at R3 million.
Protesters had broken open the gates, dragged four vehicles out into the street and looted and set alight the premises at 4am, Gounden said.
A burnt-out Jaguar was among the charred wreckage in the yard and a BMW inside the garage had also been destroyed.
A laundry and state-owned vehicles had been stoned and burnt and linen was scattered about.
City spokeswoman Tozi Mthethwa said the protests also affected Electron Road, Newlands East, Quarry Heights, the M19 and Mountbatten Drive.
In Reservoir Hills, access to the CBD via Clare Estate and the M19 was blocked by protesters.
Stri Pillay, of the Reservoir Hills community policing sector, said the University of KwaZulu-Natal was allowing residents access to Reservoir Hills through the Westville campus in the afternoon.
Pillay said vehicles attempting to go through the blocked routes had been stoned and police had been trying to disperse protesters.
Read more: Protest chaos in Durban - PICS and VIDEOS
Lindo Mhlongo, who works in the Chris Hani Road area, was stuck there for hours as it was too dangerous to go, he said.
Protesters initially began dispersing around midday. Around 2pm, Lieutenant-Colonel Thulani Zwane said the protests appeared to have calmed down in most areas.
He said the public order policing units from different stations had been deployed to help restore order.
Zwane said vehicles had been stoned and burnt, but the only serious injury reported was the man who had been shot in Sea Cow Lake.
According to police sources, a constable was injured during the protests and required stitches.
After a fairly quiet afternoon, the action appeared to flare up again on Monday night. Police spokeswoman Captain Nqobile Gwala said the R102 highway in Phoenix was blockaded with burning tyres and police ordered protesters to disperse.
Dumile Cele, chief executive of the Durban Chamber of Commerce and Industry, said major distribution centres around the Durban North area suffered losses and low productivity.
The Mercury