Jeppestown a no-go zone after pro-Zuma protests in Johannesburg
Most roads leading in and out of Jeppestown have been closed by protesters believed to be supporters of former President Jacob Zuma.
For days demonstrators in KwaZulu-Natal and Gauteng have been demanding the former president be released from prison.
He was handed a 15-month jail term for not adhering to a Constitutional Court ruling ordering him to comply with the state capture inquiry.
Large parts of Jeppestown in downtown Johannesburg are now no-go areas, with protesters all over the streets putting up barricades and some wielding sticks, knobkerries, and sjamboks.
Motorists have been battling to make their way in and out of the area.
Police have arrested at least seven people, with four caught inside one of the stores that was looted and the others taken in for public violence.
“The SAPS in Gauteng, working closely with their respective local municipal departments, have heightened visibility and remain on high alert in response to instances of opportunistic criminality and violent protest,” said the police’s Brenda Morilidi.
In Alexandra – where shops were looted and one was set alight – police have arrested 18 people for public violence and a police officer was shot.
Two other officers sustained minor injuries.
At around 3pm, the situation was calm with police monitoring the situation.
However, motorists were advised to avoid parts of Johannesburg this afternoon as a result of the violence, including the CBD.
Protestors also blockaded parts of the N1 near Sebokeng and looted shops in the area.
“Protesters are looting shops and bottle stores and are causing major obstruction on the roads of Lillian Ngoyi, Marshall Street, Commissioner Street, Rahima Moosa Street and all the cross streets.
“The N1 North and South is also blocked at the R28 near Sebokeng offramp. Motorists should use alternative routes as there are rocks and boulders on the N1 freeway,” said the JMPD’s Wayne Minnaar.
IMPACT ON POWER SUPPLY & TRANSPORT
City Power has had to stop services on Sunday as a result of the violent protests.
The power supplier said the ongoing violence had forced it to withdraw teams from areas such as Alexandra, Malvern, Jeppestown, George Goch, and parts of the CBD.
City Power’s Isaac Mangena said they were monitoring other hotspots across the city and apologized to affected residents.
As a result of the violence, the Rea Vaya bus service in Johannesburg has also stopped operating on Sunday, while the Gautrain announced that Park Station had been closed and there would no service between Park Station and Rosebank until further notice.
Meanwhile, Parliament spokesperson Moloto Mothapo said peaceful protests were a constitutional right, but violence, criminality, and incitement were an affront to our constitutional democracy.
-EWN
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