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The people behind the violence during recent protests in Nelson Mandela Bay must be arrested.
That's the word from the executive mayor, Nqaba Bhanga, who was briefing the media on Tuesday on the recent violence which saw several trucks and buses torched, mostly on the R334, R335 and R75.
Flanked by senior police representatives, Bhanga says the city had a meeting with SAPS about the violent protests over the past two weeks, and how this will be addressed.
He says whilst it is the primary duty of SAPS, through their Public Order Policing units, to manage and control protests at certain levels, the city can also play a role.
There are, however, certain legislative requirements regarding training in crowd control and protest management that must be adhered to before the Metro Police can actively assist.
Bhanga says many communities have legitimate concerns where the city can process and deal with service delivery needs, but there are also certain groups motivated by crime and politics that seek to undermine the government’s efforts to deliver services.
He says when protests result in damage and destruction to public and private property, it becomes a crime and infringes upon the rights of others.
