The town of Umzinto was blocked off on Monday by residents of a temporary housing settlement who were protesting against the arrest of 11 residents who were detained following a previous protest.
Police spokeswoman Lieutenant Nqobile Gwala said that police arrested 11 women when the residents of the Msholozi settlement in the Malangeni area of Umzinto started protesting and blocking a road on Sunday night.
The women were arrested for public violence, but shortly before they were due to appear in court on Monday, about 300 people started protesting in the Umzinto central business district blocking Jonathan and Temple Roads.
It was not immediately clear what had sparked the initial protest.
Robert McKenzie, spokesman for the KwaZulu-Natal provincial Emergency Medical Service said the protesters had blocked access to the EMS ambulance base in the town and the clinic.
Gwala said police were monitoring the protests.
Umzinto is about 70 kilometres south of Durban.
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