By Zuko Komisa
Home of Ngwathe mayor’s family torched by angry protesters over water supply.
On Monday morning, angry locals blocked roads with burning tires and rocks to protest local water cuts. They also set fire to home of the mayor of the Ngwathe municipality.
The home of Ngwathe Local Municipality Mayor Victoria de Beer’s family was allegedly targeted by angry locals.
According to Sergeant Sinah Mpakane of the Free State Police, the demonstrators also blockaded the main R59 road between Parys and Sasolburg.
“Four people have been arrested, three women and one man. The situation is a little bit calm but the POP [Public Order Policing] is still monitoring the situation because there are small groupings of people. The R59 road from Sasol to Parys has been barricaded with burning tyres and stones,” said Mpakane.
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Videos of the burning house have been widely shared on social media.
Mayor’s house is lit 🔥 People of Parys are tired of living without water. Ausi Victoria shem 😭 pic.twitter.com/NpmT0ftp39
— Indoda Emnyama (@KunoFresh) January 16, 2023
Reports of the Parys Mayor’s mother’s house being torched 🙆🏽♂️🙆🏽♂️🙆🏽♂️ pic.twitter.com/5HC0pPZoSI
— JJ Sesing (@JjSesing) January 16, 2023
The provincial department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs’ spokesperson Sello Dithebe confirmed the incident.
“We will receive reports as to the safety of the parents of the executive mayor, but at the moment it doesn’t seem as if anybody has been hurt. The most regrettable and despicable thing is that the home of the (parents of) executive mayor has been torched,” said Dithebe.
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