A protest on the R61 near Mthatha in the Eastern Cape has disrupted traffic to the town from the Libode side. Residents of Corhana and Lujecweni have blockaded the road with rocks, logs, and burning tyres. They appear to be protesting about issues of water and sanitation in the area.
Eastern Cape – R61 Route: #Protesting south of Mthatha on the Port St Johns road pic.twitter.com/eHYyaTsaEx
— TrafficSA (@TrafficSA) August 18, 2023
A local traffic expert, Tshepo Machaea, says the police are on the scene to disperse the protesters.
“It’s a pandemonium on the R61 from Mthatha to Port St. Johns, right from the Corhana bridge, tyres burning in more than five places, and the community members are complaining of service delivery; they say it’s water mainly, and those are from Lujecweni and around the locals of Corhana. At this stage, no one has gone to work, no one has gone to school, so everyone is here. We are appealing to everyone to be patient and wait for the authorities to open the road.”
