CARLETONVILLE, South Africa (Reuters) - South African police fired rubber bullets to disperse a mob that burnt tyres and barricaded roads in a township outside Johannesburg to protest against plans to shift it into a poorer province.

The riots follow a series of violent protests that rocked townships across the country earlier this year, when thousands of people vented their anger over lack of housing and basic services like water and electricity.

Several thousand people clashed with police in Thutsong, a small settlement in the gold mining district of Carletonville about 100 km (62 miles) west of Johannesburg, blocking roads with large rocks and burning cars and buildings during two days of violence.

"They tried to burn down the mayor's parent's home and then they burnt down the old municipal offices," police spokesman Solomon Sibiya said. "Police had to retaliate with rubber bullets after the protesters began throwing stones at them."

Several youths were slightly injured and 25 people were briefly detained on Wednesday.

The community is angry over a decision to incorporate the settlement into the mostly rural North West province rather than the country's industrial centre, Gauteng.

The protesters argue that service delivery is poor in that province and that the North West provincial government is inept.

"We are protesting because we don't want to be in the North West, service delivery is worse there. There is a vast difference between the two provinces," said Ephraim Moalusi as about five thousand people chanted and taunted police in riot gear.

The government is finalising municipal and provincial boundaries ahead of local government polls expected next year.

President Thabo Mbeki's African National Congress won a massive majority in general elections last year when they promised to create jobs and improve basic services.

But tensions are running high among grassroots supporters over housing shortages and service delivery.

"If they carry on like this, we won't vote," protester Jomo Mogale told reporters, referring to the municipal polls.

Reuters

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