Police on standby at 'protest interchange' on the N2 in Durban

Police have been stationed along Durban's EB Cloete interchange on the N2 where violent protesting caused major disruptions on Thursday and early Friday morning.

On Thursday night‚ protesters threw firebombs and rocks at motorists and police‚ causing a traffic backlog and closing the roads.

Earlier in the day‚ they stoned cars and set a bakkie alight.

Metro police spokesman‚ Superintendent Parbhoo Sewpersad‚ said the protests - by angry shack dwellers responding to their homes being torn down earlier in the day - continued into the early hours of Friday morning.

"Protests continued near Chesterville until 1am and Bellair until 3am. It was compounded when there was a large fire‚ gutting several homes in Electron Road‚" said Sewpersad.

He said police were stationed along the major roads to prevent a repeat of the violent protests.

Police were also on standby for a possible fuel strike on Friday.