A group of Orange Farm boys threw stones at Johannesburg Mayor Parks Tau on Tuesday after he met residents for talks, the ANC said on Wednesday.
“Just as we finished addressing them we were moving to our cars and the small boys started throwing stones from behind a group of senior people that we were talking to,” Johannesburg ANC regional secretary Dada Morero told News24.
Tau, the ANC’s regional chairperson in Johannesburg, had attended a meeting with residents in ward four on Tuesday to listen to their grievances.
When the youngsters began throwing stones at Tau and other ANC members, the meeting had already concluded. They were about to leave. Nobody was hurt and Tau and his entourage left shortly after 16:00.
Residents blocked a road during protests earlier in the week. They complained about 600 unfinished RDP houses, a sewerage system which had not been installed properly, and the city’s plans to begin road construction in the area, Morero said.
“We addressed them after they read their memorandum. We will be meeting with them on Tuesday because we have got responses to everything.”
He said road construction would start soon.
Morero downplayed reports that residents were unhappy with their councillor and wanted him replaced. He said one person had claimed the councillor never spoke to them.
“But we’ve got a report from the councillor that gives evidence that he has called public meetings there. In fact he is one of our best performing councillors in that area,” Morero said.
SABC investigative reporter, Jacques Steenkamp, posted the moment mayor Parks Tau fled, positing the short clip on Twitter.
[WATCH] @CityofJoburgZA Mayor @CllrParksTau rushed to safety as protestors throw stones #OrangeFarms #sabcnews pic.twitter.com/SeEUGIx4tc
— Jacques Steenkamp (@JacqueSteenkamp) April 12, 2016
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