The streets of Alexandra were congested on Thursday morning, as protests spurted on key routes in and out of the Gauteng township.
Alexandra protests on Thursday, 16 May 2024: Here are the routes to avoid
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Residents of Alex woke up to plumes of smoke permeating the sky, with several roads closed off to traffic.
While details about the unrest were still murky at the time of reporting, video footage taken by an eyewitness showed the scale of the tensions in the township.
Forces behind the protests, who, at this time, are unknown, created a complete blockade of London Road with burning tyres and rubble, rendering the route that links Alexandra to Sandown in the east and Modderfontein in the west.
Motorists travelling in and around Alexandra have been advised to avoid the area until law enforcement restores order.
The unrest in Alexandra surfaces a day after Pikitup employees wreaked havoc in centre city Johannesburg.
On Wednesday, metro department officials and SAPS resources were stretched thin attempting to contain large groups of rioters who took to the streets piling heaps of garbage on the road.
Supported by the Democratic Municipal and Allied Workers Unions of South Africa (DEWUMSA), Pikitup workers are throttling the City of Johannesburg for permanent employment, a month before their contracts expire.
This is a developing story.