JOHANNESBURG (Reuters) - Violent protests in South African townships spread on Wednesday, piling pressure on President Jacob Zuma to deliver on government promises of help for the poor three months after elections.
Protesters pelted cars with stones and blocked a highway near Johannesburg in the worst disturbances since Zuma took office, intensifying uncertainty after a wave of strikes and threats of industrial action in Africa's biggest economy.
The unrest also undermines South Africa's hope of showing a positive image with less than a year to go before the World Cup finals.
Residents in Meyerton, south of Johannesburg, occupied farmland in invasions reminiscent of those in neighbouring Zimbabwe. They were protesting at being evicted from their temporary settlement.
Protests continued in Johannesburg's volatile Thokoza township, where residents demand better housing and services. Thirty-five residents are due to appear in court there on Wednesday after protests turned violent on Tuesday.
In the northeastern region of Mpumalanga, residents in Balfour threatened to burn down municipal offices if 100 people arrested in protests on Tuesday were not released, Talk Radio 702 said.