This is in addition to the torching of an office belonging to the embattled metro’s Supply Chain Division in the city’s central business district. The OFM News team has been informed that both torching incidences were carried out on Wednesday evening by an unknown group of assailants. The Mangaung Metro’s spokesperson Qondile Khedama is yet to respond to media queries related to the incident.

Earlier on Wednesday, chaos erupted at the Metro’s headquarters - the Bram Fischer Building - with 11 members of the Mangaung Concerned Community (MCC), including the pressure group’s leader, Themba Zweni, being arrested. The MCC was continuing its shutdown of the building when the situation became problematic. Zweni confirmed to OFM News from inside the back of a police van that he has indeed been taken into police custody alongside other members of the MCC. He said they were barricading entrance points to the municipality, when Public Order Police got to the scene and fired rubber bullets. Free State police have since released a statement confirming the incident.

Since Tuesday, the MCC has been denying Mangaung employees entry to the headquarters. They are of the view that the metro’s council – elected in late 2021 -  is compromised and therefore must be dissolved.

This is a developing story.

OFM News/Olebogeng Motse and Kekeletso Mosebetsi