QUMBU- Two separate protests caused traffic delays in Qumbu, KwaBhaca and Port St Johns on 12th October 2026.
According to the first protest, led by residents from different villages who say the municipality is not doing its duties.
The second protest is by truck drivers who claim Department of Land Affairs is impounding their trucks and charging fines of up to R100,000.
Residents from villages including Zilandana, Mbalisweni, Senkunzi, Ketani and Laleni are protesting against municipal boundary and ward delimitation fraud.
Residents suggest that, the municipality changed ward boundaries without informing them or allowing them to not participate.This is important for them as a ward decides who your councillor is and where services like roads, water and Reconstruction and Development Programme (RDP) houses go.
MEC for Eastern Cape Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs (CoGTA) Zolile Williams, is who they prefer to intervene, suspend the new boundaries and investigate officials.
Organisers say more unrest will come if the matter is not fixed.
While the truck drivers say they will not back down until Land Affairs listens to them and reduces the fines.
They have been burning tyres, striking and blocking roads.“This protest has been going on since 03:00 in the early hours of Monday, 12 October and it is delaying us we from Durban and we still have a long way to go.” said one passenger.
According to the drivers, they are protesting against cargo operations and transport issues. Some also mention local problems such as sand mining, service delivery and municipal issues.
On social media, many people say they support the truckers, but others are worried about ambulances not being able to pass and about damage to the new road. Some residents say the fires were placed on sand so that the tar is not damaged.
Courtesy of IMAGE: Supplied
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