This is despite media reports alleging the protest action had been called off on Tuesday 18 May after an agreement between the relevant stakeholders was reached on the Mangaung Community Concern’s list of demands, which include the dissolution of the current council over service delivery constraints. 

Previously one of the leaders behind the demonstration, Lilly Tsoeu, told OFM News that an agreement between themselves, the metro, and Ntombela was on the cards, but was still being reviewed by all the parties following the first meeting on Tuesday afternoon.

With the end of the protest seemingly hanging in the air, the damage has unfortunately been done. A 14-year-old Grade 7 learner from Heide Primary School, Liam Siegal, was allegedly shot and killed by a security guard in an alleged Heidedal looting incident on Monday. 

The South African Police Service (Saps) has deployed additional personnel from other towns, cities, and provinces to assist with monitoring unrest in the Mangaung Metro, which includes Bloemfontein, Thaba’ Nchu, Dewetsdorp, Soutpan, Botshabelo, and Wepener. The OFM News team was in Dr Belcher Road on Tuesday and spotted police vehicles from Mahikeng, Rustenburg and Potchefstroom attesting to the aforementioned deployments.

The number of people arrested so far after protest action in the Mangaung Metropolitan Municipality now sits at 70 overall.

OFM News