Sixty-one people have been arrested for public violence during service delivery protests in Mpumalanga over the long weekend, police said yesterday.

Sixty-one people have been arrested for public violence during service delivery protests in Mpumalanga over the long weekend, police said yesterday.

Captain Leonard Hlathi said 29 people were arrested in Leslie near Secunda after a municipal building and other properties were burnt down. Another 32 were arrested in Ogies. "Several cars were pelted with stones and 20 complaints have already been registered for malicious damage to property cases."

Hlathi said four Toyota Quantum minibus taxis, a Condo, two bakkies and police casspir were burnt in Ogies on Saturday.

He said 10 police officers were nearly killed when the casspir they were travelling in was ambushed.

"They (protesters) put a snare of spikes on the road and covered them with some objects, so that the police could not recognise the spikes.

"Three wheels got punctured and the mob outrageously attacked the police with petrol bombs."

Hlathi added that police were forced to fire shots at the unruly crowd to protect themselves. - Sapa