A group of people has set municipal offices in Lelieveld Street alight in the early hours. Eleven young people have been arrested for public violence on Thursday. 

The provincial police spokesperson, Motantsi Makhele, explains that a security officer who was on night duty at the municipal offices was allegedly attacked by a group of people wearing balaclavas. He states that they pulled him into a storeroom and held him there while others were pouring a flammable liquid around the building. He says they then released him and set the building on fire.

Makhele further mentions that the security guard went to the police station to lay a complaint. He adds that a case of arson is under investigation and these suspects have not been apprehended. He further states that the 11 arrested will appear in the Local Magistrate's Court soon.

It is reported that the service delivery protests in this area are, amongst others, about dirty drinking water from taps in town. The protests started last week Friday and has disturbed the grade 12 learners from writing their preliminary exams.

The Education Department's spokesperson, Howard Ndaba, said that the department will make arrangements and allow these grade 12s, who missed the exams due to the protests, to write it in October.

OFM News/Marvin Ntsena