South Africa's government faced more violent protests on Tuesday as police fired rubber bullets on marchers as a strike by tens of thousands of municipal workers entered a second day.
Police broke up a demonstration in an informal settlement in the Mpumalanga province where some 500 residents angry over a lack of service delivery burned down a clinic, a library and a fire engine. They also stoned police, landing a policeman in hospital.
"We had to use rubber bullets to disperse the crowd, I believe there are some injuries but they have not been reported as yet," said provincial police spokesman Abie Khoabane.
In Thokoza, a Johannesburg township, police dispersed 200 residents with rubber bullets after they blocked off streets and stoned a police cordon in a protest over the lack of service delivery by the municipality.
Thokoza has been a hotspot of rioting as a series of service delivery protests have swept South Africa in recent weeks.
Rising discontent over wages and slack service delivery have increased pressure on the new government of President Jacob Zuma in the midst of a recession.
In downtown Johannesburg, South African Municipal Workers (SAMWU) union president Petrus Mashishi appealed for calm at a rally attended by around 1,000 strikers, after Monday saw marches deteriorate into chaos around the country.
"We must must make sure our actions are not going to taint the image of this organisation," he said.
Nearly 30 strikers were arrested Monday as protesters looted shops, harassed passers-by and dumped garbage in the streets, with at least 12 injured as police fired rubber bullets to disperse demonstrators.
Buses, clinics, traffic offices and city parks and libraries were shut down by the strike as some 150,000 government workers downed tools, demanding higher pay after inflation last year soared to a high of 13.7 percent.
Inflation has since eased to 8.0 percent, but workers say they are still falling behind.
"We did not have any incidents, the strike on the second day has been successful," said Mashishi.
Both Cape Town and Johannesburg were hardest hit in their clinics.
"We had to close all our clinics after our staff received threats and were intimidated," said City of Johannesburg spokesman Nthatise Modingoane.
Labour Minister Membathisi Mdladlana said in a statement Tuesday that bad behaviour by strikers was tarnishing the genuine grievances they might have.
"The supposedly peaceful wage increment demonstrations deteriorated into chaos as scores of marchers were seen causing havoc -- looting, harassing street vendors and spilling refuse on the streets in most of the country's major cities yesterday," he said in a statement.
Employers are offering an increase of 13 percent, and workers will continue to strike Wednesday while the unions weigh the offer.
"Although I will be losing money by being here, I am willing to strike until the employer meets our demands. It will be worth it in the end," said Nozipho Ndlela, an administrator at Johannesburg municipality.
The latest stoppages came after the country was hit by violent protests last week over lax public services from local government.
Zuma led the ruling African National Congress to a thumping victory in April elections, promising to tackle enduring poverty 15 years after the end of apartheid.
About 43 percent of South Africans live on less than two dollars a day.
South Africa often sees strikes during the southern hemisphere winter, as many contracts come up for renewal mid-year. Doctors and construction workers at 2010 World Cup stadiums have already staged strikes over the last two months.
