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5 December 2008

Mercury: Protesters arrested, injured – N2 holiday blockade threat

http://www.themercury.co.za/?fArticleId=4746970

Protesters arrested, injured
N2 holiday blockade threat

December 05, 2008 Edition 2

NATHI OLIFANT, JEFF WICKS & MDUDUZI MALAZA

THE December tourism boom on the North Coast could be under threat from the Macambini community, which blockaded the N2 and R102 routes yesterday.

At least 10 people were arrested and several were injured when hundreds of rioting local people clashed with police officers trying to open the road.

Tourism officials fear that disruptions to traffic could cost the North Coast corridor millions of rands in tourist revenue.

The Macambini residents were protesting against the failure of Premier S’bu Ndebele’s office to respond to a memorandum of grievances, which had a seven-day ultimatum. The document was handed over last week. The resi- dents had threatened to disrupt traffic to create an economic crisis unless they were responded to.

At the centre of their grievances is a multibillion-rand development led by a Dubai-based company, which is earmarked for the Macambini area. If the project goes ahead, about 8 500 families will be uprooted.

Meanwhile, a Tourism KwaZulu-Natal manager said: “The area is one of our biggest revenue generators because of the game and wetland areas it contains. If such incidents continue unabated, we are in for a bumpy ride this season. We hope the authorities will attend to this.”

KZN Trade and Investment chief executive Zamo Gwala said the project, tentatively named AmaZulu World, could have many benefits.

“Obviously, you needn’t look away from the people’s needs because this needs their buy-in, but I believe this will be managed well,” he said.

Both carriageways of the N2 were affected as the unruly crowd stoned passing and stationary vehicles, resulting in several kilometres of backed-up traffic. Several motorists reported that their cars had been damaged. Logs and burning tyres were used to block traffic.

Local police, who were initially outnumbered, said the chaos began from 5.45am when protesters blocked the north-bound carriageway between Mandeni and the Dokodweni Toll Plaza, forcing the authorities to divert traffic past Nyoni to the R102. However, both carriageways of the R102 heading north were also later blocked.

Members of the Flying Squad assisted by removing objects from the freeway.

Police believe the chaos was well planned, as protesters staged blockades in at least six areas.

Officers fired rubber bullets to disperse the crowd and 12 people were injured. Four were admitted to hospital.

Police Insp Mbongeni Mdlalose said three people had been arrested at Gingindlovu and three at Nyoni, near Mandeni. A further four men and a woman were arrested at Gingindlovu last night, said Mdlalose.

Police expected the confrontation to last well into the night.

“Once people are confronted by police, they scatter and regroup elsewhere. Police will be monitoring the situation through the night. The initial charge against those arrested is public violence, but we are not ruling out additional charges such as malicious damage to property,” he said.

Macambini community committee member Khanyisani Shandu said the committee had not instigated yesterday’s action – people had carried out the resolution reached at a previous meeting to resort to blockades if the premier did not respond to their grievances.

“We will hold a meeting with the whole community on Sunday to chart the way forward,” he said last night.

The ANC condemned the protests, with provincial ANC secretary- general Senzo Mchunu calling them “unfortunate and unnecessary”.

Mchunu said while they were aware that the proposed development had given rise to certain concerns in the community, the stone-throwing and blockading of the N2 created potential danger for innocent motorists and could not be condoned.

“The government has no intention of forcing any development programme on any community, including the community of Macambini, and thus their protest is unwarranted. We believe that no problem can be solved through violence, and call on the government and the community to engage with each other to clear up the present confusion regarding the proposed development,” said Mchunu.