Public Order Police (POP) fired rubber bullets on Tuesday, 28 July 2026 to disperse City of Matlosana community members demonstrating at the Scatec renewable energy project site.
The violent clash marks a sharp escalation in tensions, arriving less than a week after Executive Mayor Cllr Fikile Mahlophe commended residents for their peaceful conduct during an earlier protest at the same facility on Wednesday, 23 July 2026.
The community’s demonstrations stem from deep-seated frustrations regarding the project’s local impact. Key issues raised by the protesters include: allegations of highly unfair hiring practices by the company; a total lack of transparency from project developers regarding promised socioeconomic benefits; local Small, Medium, and Micro-sized Enterprises feel entirely shut out from supply chain opportunities and failed expectations regarding jobs for local unemployed residents.
The situation turned volatile on Tuesday when law enforcement intervened with force. This sudden use of rubber bullets stands in stark contrast to the stable atmosphere seen days prior, when Mahlophe openly praised the community for maintaining order while voicing their concerns.
Scatec developers and police authorities have not yet issued formal statements regarding Tuesday’s enforcement actions.
City Report has previously reported, in response to the issues raised, Mahlophe has committed to facilitating urgent discussions between the community leadership, Scatec project representatives, and municipal stakeholders.
The municipality aims to ensure that renewable energy projects operating within Matlosana adhere to fair recruitment guidelines and actively contribute to the upliftment of local businesses and job seekers.
Statec representatives Joseph Ofaletse Moroka and Tshepiso declined to comment on the City Report questions, instead deflecting all media inquiries by promising to redirect questions to the organization’s official spokesperson. To date, no further correspondence or official statement has been provided.
City Report understands that Mahlophe, Scatec, and other relevant stakeholders held a follow-up meeting on Thursday morning, 23 July 2026. The engagement was meant to directly address critical grievances raised by community members.
According to our sources, the Thursday morning meeting was postponed so that key “decision-makers” from Scatec could join the negotiations. The goal of the delay is to allow executives to make immediate, actionable adjustments to current project operations.
Stakeholders are now waiting to see if corporate leadership will offer binding commitments to resolve these economic and communication breakdowns.
