ACCESS to and from Birdswood in Richards Bay has been closed as angry protesters blockade the main intersection in the suburb this morning.
Riot police are now on the scene and busy with negotiations with the community.
It is believed the protest emanated from a budget meeting presented by City Mayor, Elphas Mbatha in Mandlazini last night.
Community members were reportedly infuriated when they heard that roads would not be tarred in their suburb despite the fact that only 15% of the capital budget had been spent.
The Mayor was reportedly ‘locked-in’ the suburb through a barricade shortly after the meeting last night.
According to sources community members are demanding that Mbatha step down as chairperson of the Mandlazini Trust along with another councillor sitting on the body.
Our editor DAVE SAVIDES has been on the scene for the past two hours which has been described as extremely tense and volatile.
Back-up police have been dispatched to the scene as angry protesters continue to wield sticks and stop vehicles from entering and exiting the suburb.
Our editor will keep you up to date with more information from the scene.
this is ridiculous, it has nothing to do with the residents of Birdswood.
Do u have DAVE SAVIDES nr please
Unbelievable! Trying to get my daughters to school this morning was a nightmare. I can only imagine the frustration of the poor busloads of children trying to get to school! The busses were parked everywhere, kids milling around, upset that they cannot get an education they are entitled to. Why must it always be taken so far? why always violence, or destruction? Pointless as usual of course…and costing us money yet again!!
ANGRY PROTESTERS SHUT DOWN BIRDSWOOD
I think that the people that do want to make a difference are helpless about the goings on with the ruling party of our country. Downhill is an understatement. Then we have people who choose to be ignorant and have not taken the time to register to vote, we are getting an opportunity to change things around, how many of us will make an attempt to vote? MY SENTIMENTS ARE NOTHING NEW. LOOK AROUND YOU, DO YOU LIKE WHAT YOU SEE?
Yes they did a good thing, municipality doesn’t care about us,they told us we have 1.2 million for electification but we have been here(phase 7) for more than 5 years nothing happened they always promising.
Why aren’t the police doing anything we are all losing money….
Does anyone know if the road has been cleared?
…and still they vote ANC…typical
Personally I think the residents of mandlaznini implimented their strike smartly because if they hadn’t closed down the intersection and only had the strike at mandlaznini know one could have cared less what they wer doing….stoping birdswood from operating was the only way for them to be heard
I themba I this was the solution to solve these corruption in the trust we suffering as mandlanzini residents so this people selfish they are because of us it not about their education we voted for them end of the day they group us with rich people as ward4 which is unfair.the ANC of ward 4 is only
working for birdswood they take mandlanzini as their reserve tank.that is over now we r tired and we’ll never handily this again(abakwaziyo nje ukuzinwaya ugovane babo ngomphakathi wasemandlinzini that will come to an end sooner or later