A hostage drama at the Ditsobotla municipal offices in the North West finally ended after the mayor was held up by residents for hours, police said on Thursday morning.
"(He was released) just before one o'clock in the morning," said police spokesperson Brigadier Sabata Mokgwabone.
"The mayor is not harmed in any way."
Mokgwabone said charges of arson, kidnapping and attempted murder are being investigated.
"It is still quiet at the moment, including the portion of the building that was set alight. Police are maintaining a presence in the area. No injuries have been reported," Mokgwabone said.
The DA's Jacqueline Theologo‚ who was on the scene on Wednesday‚ said about 40 members from the nearby Phola community had stormed into the municipal offices in the afternoon and took the mayor hostage.
Theologo said the community had threatened to set themselves alight out of sheer desperation for their concerns to be heard.
"Service delivery is in a terrible state in this area. It is really a hell of a situation‚" she said.
TMG Digital/TimesLIVE
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