Update
MOSSEL BAY NEWS - A group of protesters was dispersed by stun grenades earlier today, 29 May, before several structures were then set alight in Giyani informal settlement later in the afternoon.
It is not yet known who the perpetrators who set the structures alight are.
The gathering had started as a small group of about 15 people at the Asla Park taxi rank before steadily growing as they marched through the streets of KwaNonqaba.
A spokesperson for the gathering, Simphiwe James, told Mossel Bay Advertiser this morning that the protest was against illegal foreigners.
Against the backdrop of a heavy police presence, including Public Order Police (POP) Units, officers from stations in the greater Mossel Bay area and Mossel Bay Municipality's law enforcement officers, protesters sang and called for onlookers to join them.
It was reported that the march was supposed to circle through KwaNonqaba and end back at the rank; however, reports indicate that the group went down to Barcelona Circle before police used stun grenades to disperse them.
The protest started this morning, 29 May. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
Early this afternoon, reports came in of several structures that were set alight in Giyani.
The municipality said that the Mossel Bay Fire and Rescue and Disaster Management (MBFRDM) teams responded to structure fires in the KwaNonqaba area and that crews remain on standby to respond where required, provided that areas can be accessed and if it is deemed safe to do so.
It added that both the Asla Clinic and Alma Clinic will close earlier today, due to protest action.
“This decision was made in the interest of the safety of both staff and patients. Patients requiring emergency medical care are advised to go to Mossel Bay Hospital,” it said.
The municipality said the Joint Operations Centre (JOC) remains fully operational, with all areas under continuous surveillance.
A Southern Cape Police spokesperson, Warrant Officer Chris Spies, said a public violence docket has been opened for further police investigation and that the various police officers and units will remain in the area to monitor the situation.
The remnants of a structure set alight in Giyani informal settlement. Photo: Chelsea Pieterse
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