Spokesperson Mahlalefi Lebotha believes that locals are not angry with service delivery, but with the local Burnstone Gold Mine’s failure to deliver on its promise of ensuring that 50 percent of its workforce was made up of locals.
 

The protests have seen 22 people arrested on charges of public violence, theft and arson, which included the burning of a municipal office and looting of shops belonging to foreign nationals.
 

Lebotha said the municipality would now be meeting with officials from the provincial Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs to find a solution.
 

One protester, Herbert Zitha, said: "We demand the resignation of all the councillors in the municipality. The first to go must be the mayor and the municipal manager; they have failed us."
 

Zitha said while they were protesting over the mine’s failure to remain true to its employment policy, they were also furious with the state of service delivery in the province. As a result, Zitha and many other protesters are now calling for the area to be re-demarcated into Gauteng.
 

Police spokesperson, Sergeant Sam Tshabalala, said matters had grown more tense on Tuesday as people regrouped at the local stadium. "They are burning tyres and blockading every road in the township. About 60 of our members are in the area trying to calm the situation," said Sergeant Tshabalala.

He said the 22 people who were arrested for arson and public violence on Monday were unable to appear in court on Tuesday because of the renewed protests. "They are being kept in custody until Wednesday," he said.

In June last year, more than 100 people were arrested in the same township for public violence during week-long service delivery protests.

Service delivery protests broke out in five Mpumalanga municipalities last year. At the time, provincial Premier David Mabuza blamed the protests on a lack of meaningful public participation and communication in matters that affect communities.