Jacob Zuma latest: Watch violent protestors burn N3 near Durban

Violent supporters of former president Jacob Zuma have blocked the N3 freeway outside Durban preventing traffic from flowing in both directions on Friday morning.

Protest action by people, believed to be Jacob Zuma supporters, who have called for a shutdown of the province’s businesses and shops, broke out on the N3 to and from Durban near the Cliffdale offramp on Friday morning. Motorists have been advised to use an alternative route. Protestors have blocked the freeway with burning rubble, preventing traffic from travelling in both directions. 

Jacob Zuma’s supporters have unleashed their anger on the streets in protest against his imprisonment in Estcourt Prison this week to serve a 15 months sentence after being found guilty of contempt of court in the Constitutional Court last week. The protests follow a meme that circulated widely on social media yesterday calling for a complete shutdown of the province.

Watch a video here of the protest action in support of Jacob Zuma on the N3 here:

Meanwhile, regarding the widespread protest action across Durban, eThekwini Metro Police spokesman Parboo Sewpersad said that some of the warnings of protest action that were widely circulated on social media were “fake news”.  Twitter has also been awash with reports of alleged protest action on Friday.

He said metro police officers had attended the scene of the alleged protests reported on social media, and union investigation some of the roads were found to be clear and traffic was flowing smoothly. He said the report about the N2 being shut near the airport was among the fake news reports.

“Some reports were fake that were posted on social media. When the information came over social media we had to send metro police officers out to confirm and only five reports were confirmed. They others were all clear,” Sewpersad said.

Sewpersad confirmed the following active protests across Durban and surrounding areas on Friday morning:

*Alpine and Umgeni 

*Alpine road Opposite shell garage.

• N2 Between Umhlanga and Sibiya 
• Ntuzuma E section Saps dispatched 
• Verulam M27 Past Spar Waterloo

A spokesperson for the KZN Department of Transport and Community Safety and Liaison had not yet responded to questions regarding the protests by Jacob Zuma supporters at the time of publication.