Central SA
Close to 50 protesters arrested in Free State─── KEKELETSO MOSEBETSI 13:09 Thu, 27 Oct 2022
A total of 47 people have been arrested following the unrest which took place in the area of Bohlokong, Bethlehem, in the Free State.
On Wednesday 26 October 2022, residents of Bohlokong were up in arms, barricading roads with stones and burning tyres.
The provincial police spokesperson, Mmako Mophiring, said the residents held a meeting on Sunday 23 October 2022 to discuss issues of substance abuse, allegedly sold by foreign nationals in the area. This subsequently resulted in the total shutdown on Wednesday 26 October 2022. The unrest affected businesses, schools and the movement of taxis in the area.
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Mophiring says everything is back to normal on Thursday, as learners returned to school, workers are back at work, and taxis are operating. He adds that arrested protesters will appear in court soon.
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The Department of Education raised concerns over the total shutdown in Bethlehem and further urged residents to take teaching into consideration, especially with matric learners writing their final exams.
Free State MEC for Police, Roads and Transport, William Bulwane, on Wednesday confirmed that police from Welkom and other surrounding regions were deployed to Bethlehem to assist other law and order entities with the unrest.
