Mpho Dube

Fifty people were arrested in Burgersfort on charges of public violence after a mob blocked a road with stones, set tyres alight and damaged a vehicle belonging to a security company.

According to information received, the mob went on the rampage early yesterday morning demanding to be employed at the local Xstrata mine.

Members of the public order policing unit of the SAPS were deployed to the area and the situation was quickly defused.

Nobody was seriously injured during the incident.

However, two police members were slightly injured when they were stoned by the mob as they arrived on the scene.

Police increased patrols in the area to prevent further outbreaks of violence and the situation was calm at the time of going to press.