A Democratic Alliance councillor in the Moqhaka Municipality in the Free State was arrested on Thursday after allegedly assaulting a police officer.

Police spokesperson Brig Motantsi Makhele confirmed they were on the scene where at the scene when a Constable was attacked allegedly by Councillor David Nzunga.

“On Thursday at 3pm the complainant a police official who is a constable stationed at Viljoenskrron attended a complaint where Moqhaka Municipality was demolishing structures erected at empty municipal sites. The suspect started attacking the police, pulling the complainant out of the vehicle. The suspect assaulted the complainant and damaged the rear canopy of the state vehicle.”

Makhele said the estimated damage is R15 000. 

According to a reliable source, the scuffle broke out at a residential site belonging to the municipality that is currently being allocated to residents in the Residential Sites Allocation Programme. It is believed that after a document was leaked with the names of people who will receive the land, land grabbers went and illegally occupied the land located in Rammolutsi.

“There was an issue around people who wanted to occupy the land illegally and there was a confrontation between occupiers and security,” said the source who did not want to be named.

"He hit the police car with rocks but it is unclear exactly why he was there," said the source.

Nzunga who confirmed to Sowetan that he appeared in the Viljonskroon Magistrates Court on Friday morning said he was released on R500 bail after being arrested and charged in the incident.

“I can confirm I was arrested…the charges say I assaulted a police officer,” he said.

He declined to comment further on the matter but said he will be back in court next week.

Spokesperson for the Municipality Dika Kheswa said they are aware of the arrest.

“We have noted the arrest of the councillor and would like to afford the law enforcement agencies and courts to deal with this matter,” he said.