Gauteng Premier Panyaza Lesufi’s office is monitoring Johannesburg’s CBD following violent protests with police and residents.
Unsettled demonstrations led to the closure of Commissioner Street on Monday causing traffic congestion.
Protesters blocked the road with stones and burning tires at the intersection of Goud and Komisaris roads after a Tanzanian citizen collapsed and died during a police operation.
The 28-year-old man has been identified as Omari Hamisi.
Drug raids
It is understood that the police received information that there were drugs in the Panama Court in room 121 and room 222 in the CBD.
When they got to room 121, they knocked on the door and the person inside the room refused to open, said Lesufi’s spokesperson, Vuyo Mhaga.
“The police forced open the door and found the suspect inside. After searching the flat, they found money, dagga and a white substance believed to be drugs. The suspect then took the officer to room 222 in Panorama Court.
“When he went to the second floor, the suspect became weak and collapsed on the stairs. He was certified dead at the scene,” he said.
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Call for calm
The cause of death will be determined during a postmortem to be conducted on Wednesday, Mhaga said.
Gauteng Premier Lesufi has since called for calm following violent protests in Joburg’s CBD.
“We ask for calm and appeal to the public to allow the investigation into the suspect’s death to be carried out without interference. Violence and vandalism will not solve the problem,” said Lesufi.
Several protested
Meanwhile, service delivery protests spread across South Africa on Monday, with disruptive protests reported in Boksburg, Kroonstad and Phoenix.
Protest hotspots include informal settlements, malls, highways and near government buildings.
Opposition parties in the country have also expressed their intention to act against the ongoing electricity crisis.
South Africans have been brought to a standstill by deliberate power outages that have affected their normal daily lives.
Additional report by We won Khumalo
Also read: South Africa on fire: Protests flare up across the country on Monday