http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_id=1&click_id=13&art_id=nw20100323144910819C590311

61 arrested in Mpumalanga protest
March 23 2010 at 06:07PM

Sixty-one people have been arrested for public violence during service delivery protests in Mpumalanga over the long weekend, police said on Tuesday.

Captain Leonard Hlathi said 29 people were arrested in Leslie near Secunda after a municipal building and other property were burnt down.

Another 32 were arrested in Ogies.

“Several cars were pelted with stones and 20 complaints have already been registered for malicious damage to property cases.”

He said four Toyota Quantum minibus taxis, a Condo, two bakkies and police caspir were burnt in Ogies on Saturday.

He said ten police officers were nearly killed when the caspir they were travelling in was ambushed.

“They [protesters] put a snare of spikes [on the road] and covered them with some objects, so that the police could not recognised the spikes. Three wheels got punctured and the mob outrageously attacked the police with petrol bombs,” he said.

Police were forced to fire shots at the unruly crowd to protect themselves, he said.

“One person was injured in the incident.”

Hlathi said the protest in the area started on Thursday, when a march was held to hand over a memorandum to representatives of the provincial government.

“It is alleged the authorities did not turn up as requested. The people went on the rampage, barricading the roads with burning tyres and burnt down property.” – Sapa