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Five people were arrested in Mthatha on Monday after shots were fired at police who were tailing a Toyota Fortuner with several occupants inside.
Police spokesperson, Colonel Priscilla Naidu, said the incident happened at about 9 AM on the bypass from the Ultra City which joins the road to Ngcobo.
She said shots were fired at the police who returned fire, injuring two people.
Naidu said three other suspects were also arrested and two firearms seized by members of the Public Order Policing and Mthatha Vispol members.
A case of attempted murder and possession of illegal firearms will be opened.
The incident comes amid a blockade of the N2 entry points to the town, reportedly by disgruntled taxi operators who allegedly hijacked trucks to block roads.
Police said in an update at around noon on Monday that the situation remained tense with many roads still closed.
The ANC in the Eastern Cape condemned the action, including the alleged “intimidation of people who were about to board a plane at Mthatha Airport.”
Spokesperson, Gift Nqondi, described the incidents as an “act of sabotage” and called on communities to stop barricading public roads during protests.
The ANC also said the police have a constitutional obligation to protect the rights of all citizens and any “such violation must be acted upon decisively” by the police.
