Johannesburg - Police fired rubber bullets and tear gas to disperse protesters at Zandspruit informal settlement after residents blocked roads and pelted vehicles with stones on Wednesday.
Gauteng police spokesman Lieutenant Kay Makhubela said that one person was arrested for trying to set a petrol station on fire, which had also been vandalised by protesters.
“The situation has stabilised, but roads remain blocked, we urge motorists to avoid driving through the area,” Makhubela said.
Residents took to the streets to protest against poor service delivery and electricity cuts early on Wednesday.
This came after Eskom disconnected illegal electricity connections in the area.
The busy Beyers Naude Drive was closed to traffic as defiant protesters threw stones at vehicles and the police. Rocks, tree stumps and burning tyres were used to block roads around the informal settlement.
Johannesburg metro police spokesman, Chief Superintendent Wayne Minnaar, advised motorists to use the M14 and the Hendrick Potgieter Road.
African News Agency