Johannesburg Mayor Herman Mashaba says national government is to blame for the ongoing chaos in the Johannesburg CBD.

Mashaba described the situation in the CBD as a “time bomb in the City of Johannesburg”.

On Thursday, police officers clashed with foreign shop keepers in the CBD.

Police used rubber bullets to disperse a group of protestors who had barricaded Rahima Moosa Street on Thursday.

Gauteng police spokesperson, Captain Kay Makhubele said the owners of a shop barricaded the road and threw stones at police when they heard that a raid was going to take place in the building.

Three Johannesburg Metro Police Department vehicles were damaged and three civilians members were injured.

“The protest became violent as JMPD officers were attacked,” said JMPD Spokesperson, Wayne Minnaar.

“Their vehicles were damaged in the process.”

Shopkeepers accuse police of using live ammunition.

Mashaba says Home Affairs is responsible for the mess in the city’s streets.

“Unfortunately we are being let down very badly by Home Affairs who are creating this mess,” said Mashaba who was visiting the scene of a skirmish between police and vendors.

“In the under three years I have been in office, I am now dealing with the fifth minister of Home Affairs, I have brought this matter up in December to say that the City of Johannesburg is sitting time bomb in terms of undocumented people in the city.”

Mashaba says what happened in the CBD is unacceptable and the culprits must be arrested.

“It is unacceptable that our police can be attacked in that matter regardless of what happened,” Mashaba said.

“I don’t believe I want to live in a country where police can be attacked in that manner and we don’t retaliate.”

The mayor further stated that he is disappointed that no arrests have been made 24 hours after the incident.