11 arrested following Alex shutdown
Gauteng police have confirmed that 11 people have been arrested following Wednesday's shutdown in Alexandra in the north of Johannesburg.
The community took to the streets against a lack of service delivery, electricity and water supply and rising crime.
All roads leading in and out of the township were barricaded while taxis came to a standstill and shops and schools shut their doors.
Police spokesperson, Kay Makhubela, says the arrested people are between 18 and 40 years of age.
They are expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrates' Court soon on charges of public violence.
Makhubela adds that police officers have been deployed to various areas of Alexandra.
"We are continuing to monitor the area, as the motorists are moving up and down now, but however the rubble is still on the streets. So far, police are trying to remove it.
"People must understand that protesting is allowed, but what is not allowed is to vandalised other people's property."
The City of Johannesburg municipality, led by the Democratic Alliance (DA), believes politics is behind the protest.
On Thursday, organisers of the shutdown campaign said they would give the City of Johannesburg three days to respond to their grievances.
One of the organisers, Thandiwe Mthombeni, said the Alex shutdown group suspended their action for the day and until a community meeting could be held to map the way forward.
"Anybody who will be striking, it will be something else, we are giving Herman Mashaba three days to respond, we are going to have a community public meeting on the way forward, " Mthombeni said.