Violence flares up in Balfour

Violence flared up again at Siyathemba township in Balfour at the weekend where residents turned on foreign shop owners, Mpumalanga police said on Monday. "They started last night [Sunday] and they burnt the shops of foreigners," said Sergeant Sam Tshabalala. Tshabalala said he would have more information on the protests later on Monday.

In 2009 President Jacob Zuma visited Balfour following a series of protests at Siyathemba where residents demanded the removal of all Mbombela municipal councilors. In July, residents took to the streets, burning tyres and barricading roads. About 30 foreign nationals had to stay the Balfour police station for safety reasons.

Source: Mail & Guardian

Minister turns attention to Balfour protests

Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba began a series of meetings in Balfour, Mpumalanga, on Monday to discuss the recent protests there, his spokesperson, Cleo Mosana, said.

Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka released a report last week on the preliminary findings of a study on a recent spate of protests across the country. Researchers flagged a lack of responsiveness to issues raised by communities, tensions between political and administrative sections of some municipalities, allegations of fraud and corruption, ward committees not functioning at their full capacity, and poor planning.

Source: Mail & Guardian