Man killed, 10 arrested in Tzaneen protests
The upheaval started on Wednesday when residents of Sasekani barricaded the R36 with rocks and branches during a service delivery protest, spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe said.
That night a foreign-owned shop was broken into. Locals caught the robbers and assaulted them. They escaped before they could be taken to the police station.
"On the same night the same group of criminals allegedly attacked another foreign-owned shop and shot at a foreign national, wounding him in the leg."
"The community was alerted and found three men. They assaulted them and one of them died."
No arrests had yet been made for the man's death.
Police reinforcements were brought in from Polokwane, Giyani and Thohoyandou and they cleared the R36 on Thursday evening.
When residents wanted to block the road again on Friday morning, police fired rubber bullets to disperse them.
"They are trying to regroup in the villages along that road," Ngoepe said.
Ten people were arrested for public violence and would appear in the Ritavi Magistrate's Court on Monday.
Author: News24
NewsWire ID: 2871
File photo: Gallo images