Eastern Cape Municipality requests military intervention to contain ongoing protest
30 August 2017
Port Elizabeth – The Matatiele Municipality in the Eastern Cape on Tuesday requested the deployment of the South African National Defence Force (SANDF) to the area after protest action brought the rural community to a standstill.
On Tuesday morning, local police arrested eight people in connection with public violence after Matatiele residents blocked several roads with burning tyres, set vehicles alight and barred children from going to school.
The community is demanding that the town’s gravel roads be paved immediately, saying their condition is detrimental to the local trader economy.
In a statement, Matatiele municipal mayor Momelezi Mbedla said the SANDF was requested “to enhance law enforcement in the area”.