News24.com | LIVE: Alexandra protesters demand to speak to Mayor Mashaba
2019-04-03 07:41
One of the Johannesburg’s oldest suburbs is under lockdown as people demand basic services from the DA-led municipality.
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The JMPD will act to prevent protesters in Alexandra from blocking the N3 highway.
Marchers are moving near the Marlboro Gautrain Station and say that they want to shut down the N3.
“We will stop them before they go on to the N3,” JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar told News24.
He added that a number of officers are on standby to deal with the protest.
“We have a huge contingent deployed in around Alex. We will definitely disperse the crowd if they want to go on to the N3.”
There was a call for Mayor Herman Mashaba to address the crowd, but Minnaar said that mayoral committee member for public safety would address them.
“That crowd is moving to Lenin Road to meet with the MMC Michael Sun,” Minnaar said.
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The situation in Alexandra remains volatile as protesters demand that City of Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba address them.
“People are continuing to protest and our members are there at the scene monitoring the situation,” Police Colonel Lungelo Dlamini told News24.
Some social posts claimed that police used live ammunition, but the police denied this.
“We don’t use live ammunition on protests,” said Dlamini.
He described the protests as “a bit violent” and said that no injuries have been reported.
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The JMPD told News24 that officers are conducting cat-and-mouse battles with protesters.
“The tyres are on the side of the road,” JMPD spokesperson Wayne Minnaar told News24.
“They are burning tyres, but the traffic is moving,” he added.
Minnaar said there were no injuries to officers and two protesters were arrested.
London Road is a protest hotspot at the moment and officers have regularly been clearing the road of barricades.
“As soon as the officers clear the barricades, then the people come back,” said Minnaar.
“We will stay here as long as necessary.”
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