South African police fired tear gas and rubber bullets on Tuesday at protesters demanding better sanitation, electricity and housing in impoverished townships.
Tires burned and rubbish littered the streets of Standerton, in the north-eastern region of Mpumalanga, and shops were closed after thousands of people marched on the township's municipal offices.
Police fired shots after the protesters tried to overturn a car, chanting "only (President Jacob) Zuma can stop us now." A police helicopter circled the township as marchers started to disperse but the situation remained tense.
Widespread frustration over poor infrastructure has prompted sporadic protests since elections in April.
Dissatisfied people in townships and informal settlements are trying to increase pressure on Zuma to meet election pledges to help millions who are still living in poverty 15 years after the end of apartheid.
Zuma's spokesman Vincent Magwenya said he had no plans to meet the protesters and that people with grievances should call a phone line set up to contact the president.
"There are avenues available to communities to engage government on challenges they face in service delivery and we encourage communities to use the presidential hotline," he said.
Zuma's hotline, launched last month, has been swamped with calls and many people have been unable to get through.
RECESSION HITS GOVERNMENT TARGETS
SAFM radio reported protesters at Siyathuthuka -- another township in Mpumalanga -- had burned a municipal building while tension was high at Palm Ridge, east of Johannesburg, with a heavy police presence after protests turned violent on Monday.
Zuma has promised to ease inequalities Africa's biggest economy but has said the government has fallen short in meeting demands for better basic services like water, electricity, health care and education.
After a decade of economic growth, Zuma's government is grappling with the country's first recession since 1992 and has said revenue will fall short of its target by at least 70 billion rand ($9.5 billion).
"There was an expectation that things would improve for the working class and for the lower income groups. But this is not happening," said Nel Marais, political analyst at Executive Research Association.
"The economy is simply not performing well enough to make the living conditions of these people easier. I think under those circumstances it is relatively easy for local leaders to exploit the situation and mobilize the people."
Source: Reuters
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