Durban - Protest action on the N2 northbound caused traffic chaos on Monday when the road between the M7 and EB Cloete/Spaghetti Junction had to be temporarily closed.
Protesters burned tyres, stoned vehicles and blockaded the road in the Ridgeview Road in the Cato Manor area.
Durban Metro Police spokesman, Senior Superintendent Parboo Sewpersad said: “Protesters threw also threw rocks, chairs and sofas onto the freeway".
Community Policing Forum groups and Rescue Care paramedics who were on scene also reported that a bus had been burned.
Sewpersad urged motorists to use alternate routes when the roads while authorities tried to clear the area of debris. “Motorists are urged to stay away from the M7 altogether and to use alternate routes until the road completely clears.”
Protesters torched a bus, burned tyres, stoned vehicles and blockaded the road in the Ridgeview Road in the Cato Manor area. The protest spilled over onto the N2 Freeway on Monday. Picture: Durban Metro Police.
Police spokesperson Colonel Thembeka Mbele said according to their officers on scene around 70 people were involved in the protest action.
“It is believed that the protests were linked to service delivery complaints. We can confirm that a bus was burned. At this stage, no injuries have been reported and no arrests have been made,” she said.
Police maintained a high presence in the area.
Meanwhile, protests were also reported this morning in Sydenham’s Randles Road when dirt and burning tyres were strewn across the road in the area. It’s believed the disruption extended to Sparks Road towards Shifa Hospital area as well.
Protesters torched a bus, burned tyres, stoned vehicles and blockaded the road in the Ridgeview Road in the Cato Manor area. The protest spilled over onto the N2 Freeway on Monday. Picture: Rescue Care
Sewpersad said while no roads were closed off in Sydenham as a result of the protest, the rubbish remained strewn on the roads, causing obstruction to traffic.
He urged members of the public to heed police alerts in so far as violent protests are concerned. We are finding more and more that some motorists don't heed our warnings to avoid protest areas and still make their way out. What happens is they have to slow down their vehicles to manoeuvre around debris on the road and in the process of slowing down, their vehicle could possibly be stoned.
Protesters torched a bus, burned tyres, stoned vehicles and blockaded the road in the Ridgeview Road in the Cato Manor area. The protest spilled over onto the N2 Freeway on Monday. Picture: Rescue Care
"We alert motorists as quickly as possible in times of protest because they are the most vulnerable on the roads. Please, motorists have to stay away from the blue line (where the action is).We are finding that more and more motorists are not heeding the police call to stay away from these areas and to not drive into these areas. The info we put out through the media and on social media is as things are happening and it is very dangerous," said Sewpersad.