Durban - Protesting members of the National Freedom Party (NFP) were arrested in Bergville in KwaZulu-Natal after allegedly causing chaos on the streets on Wednesday.
Streets along Bergville in the Okhahlamba municipality had been turned into waste dumps as NFP members destroyed trash bins and burned tyres.
Shops along the main road had closed their doors amid fears of looting.
Members of the NFP were reportedly unhappy following the news that the party had been disqualified from participating in the local government elections on August 3 due to the failure to pay the registration fee on time.
“They must allow us to stand, we want to vote,” said party members that had gathered at the party’s Bergville offices.
Bergville police and the Ladysmith K9 unit made a number of arrests after protests in the the Wembezi and Estcourt areas.
Police eventually managed to disperse the crowds and were patrolling the area.
The NFP on Wednesday said it would approach the Constitutional Court to challenge its disqualification from contesting the elections.
The party was disqualified after it failed to pay the registration fee to the Electoral Commission of SA (IEC) on time. A subsequent appeal to the Electoral Court was dismissed at the weekend.
African News Agency