Township in Turmoil

Fed up with the lack of service delivery in their township, residents congregate in a soccer stadium to hear the remarks of Mayor Lefty Tsotetsi on July 22nd.

Residents of Siyathemba township, on the outskirts of Balfour, climb to get a better view of the mayor’s remarks.

Angry with the lack of sanitation, water and garbage services  –services that the ANC government has pledged to fix– young and old come out to give the mayor a piece of their mind.

A middle-aged man yells as the crowd behind stomps and jeers.

After the crowds file out of the stadium, people begin throwing stones at police nyalas (armoured vehicles).

Police officers check out the scene.

In response to the crowds, police break up the improvised street barricades and shoot rubber bullets and tear gas into the crowds.

Township dwellers run as rubber bullets are fired in their direction.

Photographers Alon Skuy and Thys Dullaart of the Times run to find a better position.

A photographer and videographer take cover on a porch as a police nyala is pelted with rocks and bottles.

As the crowds subside, township residents warm themselves by a flaming road block.

As the sun sets, a police nyala makes another pass.

Residents warm themselves by a makeshift road block. As the sun goes down, residents retire from the protests for now, their anger burning beneath the surface. It remains to be seen whether the situation will get uglier in days to come.