Pretoria – The situation is tense in Mahube Valley, east of Pretoria, after residents took to the streets early on Thursday morning.
The residents blockaded streets, demanding an end to illegal water and electricity connections.
Police said homeowners were complaining about the increase in their utilities bills due to the illegal connections allegedly by neighbouring residents from an informal settlement.
Illegal shack owners have illegally connected the water and electricity. This led to an increase in the bills for home owners in Mahube, they said.
Several houses and shacks have been petrol-bombed and damaged following an overnight battle between residents of the middle-class area and those of the nearby informal settlement.
It is understood that tension has been brewing for some time.
The residents of the informal settlement moved into an open space across the road in April last year.