The Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Police Department (EMPD) together with the SAPS have arrested forty-nine male and female suspects between the ages of 20 and 51 who have been taken to the Dawn Park police station in relation to service delivery protest at Holomisa informal settlement in Windmill Park, Boksburg.

The suspects are facing charges of malicious damage to property, assault and public violence.

This follows the eruption of what appears to be a service delivery protest in the area on 9 July, which saw members of the public barricading roads with stones and going on a rampage.

EMPD and SAPS have since contained the situation and increased their presence in and around the area to prevent any further incidents of vandalism.

According to the mayoral spokesperson Zweli Dlamini council is currently establishing contact with community leaders to determine the concerns of the residents and together devise a mutually beneficial way forward.

“While we do respect the right to protest, we strongly condemn the act of vandalism that characterised the protest which saw the damaging of robots, street lights and municipal property (a metro police Light Delivery Vehicle was stoned leaving the rear window shuttered and front windscreen cracked) including the vandalising of a wall of a nearest housing complex, which is totally unacceptable,” Dlamini said.

As a result of the protest Barry Marais Road between Rondebult and Trichardts roads is still closed to traffic and motorists are advised to use alternative routes.