makana.gov.za
Police in Makhanda are investigating a case of arson after the offices of the Department of Sanitation were petrol bombed in the early hours of Tuesday morning.
Colonel Priscilla Naidu says members of a security company on patrol saw flames inside the office just before 3 am.
She said the fire department was quick to respond and only three window panes and a wooden table inside the office were damaged.
Meanwhile, the Makana Municipality said they would be unable to render any essential services due to the ongoing strike which started on Monday.
In a statement on their Facebook page, the Municipality said employees were unable to travel in municipal vehicles as the safety of their staff and municipal assets was a priority.
The Makana Municipality added that they were continuously assessing the situation.
Colonel Naidu said that as protest action in the area continues, motorists and travellers are warned to use alternative routes as the N2 towards Makhanda is blocked with barricades both ways at 7 Fountains.
No vehicles can pass through and motorists are advised to divert at Nanaga and Peddie.
Residents are reportedly unhappy with a number of issues including the lack of service delivery.
The mayor of Makhanda tried to address protesters on Monday but had to be removed by police in a Nyala for security reasons.
Residents demanded to be addressed by Eastern Cape Premier Lubabalo Mabuyane who on Tuesday condemned, in the strongest terms, the violence and disruption which accompanied protests in Makhanda, and Nelson Mandela Bay.
He says the disruption of daily activities, including the forceful closure of schools and business, cannot be tolerated.
Premier Mabuyane says the MEC for Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Xolile Nqata will be in Makhanda on Wednesday.
This, in a bid to resolve the issues in the Makana Municipality that has now effectively brought the city to its knees.
In a strongly-worded statement on Tuesday, Mabuyane called for calm and for the protestors to allow the process of dialogue between the government and the community to take place.
Eastern Cape Transport MEC, Weziwe Tikana-Gxothiwe, has also called for calm and sensible behaviour from the protesters.
Rhodes University also confirmed reports that a group of protesters marched onto the university campus and demanded that staff be released in support of the ongoing Makhanda protest.
As a result, several physical activities on campus have been placed on hold until further notice.
