S. African police fire rubber bullets to disperse protesters

Police on Wednesday fired rubber bullets at protesters during a protest against poor service delivery in Soweto, southwest of Johannesburg.

Hundreds of residents took to the streets on Wednesday morning to protest against the installation of prepaid electricity systems in the area.

The residents complained that they had to pay more for electricity once the meters were installed.

Some protesters said they were also angry about rolling blackouts which seriously affected their lives.

South Africans have been subjected to frequent blackouts for months due to a worsening shortage of electricity supply.

The protest went violent after protesters blocked roads and burned tyres in confrontation with police, witnesses said.

Police had to fire rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, spokesperson Edna Mamonyane said.

There were no reports of injuries or arrests.

An reinforcement of police has been dispatched to the area to monitor the situation. Endi