Residents of Harrismith's Intabazwe township, which had calmed yesterday after two days of violent protests, woke today to renewed clashes.

"It's absolute chaos this morning," said Eastern Free State police spokeswoman Captain Veronica Ntepe.

"People are trying to leave their homes and go to work, but school children are trying to stop them by assaulting them, stoning cars and damaging property."

Ntepe said the township had been calm most of yesterday and throughout the night, and the sudden upsurge in violence had been unexpected.

The ongoing unrest began on Monday when The Concerned Group, mostly young people, started protesting against the local council's failure to respond to a memorandum of grievances.

Free State Premier Beatrice Marshoff confirmed she would visit Harrismith today and said she would meet the community and the family of Teboho Mkhonza, 17, who died after being shot with pellets and rubber bullets by police on Monday.

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