Democratic Alliance (DA) leader Mmusi Maimane has labelled the recent spate of protests in metros governed by the party as the African National Congress's (ANC's) ploy to render the DA incompetent ahead of the upcoming national elections in May.

Maimane said this is the ANC's desperate attempt to render DA-run cities ungovernable, and to shift attention away from its own failure in government.

Several communities in Gauteng and the Western Cape have implemented a shutdown over what they have termed poor service delivery.

On Thursday, residents around Tshwane townships woke up to burning tyres and blocked roads. Public transport was affected in some areas, leaving workers and learners stranded. In Alexandra, residents took to the streets last week in protest for better service delivery and also demanded a meeting with executive mayor Herman Mashaba.

On Thursday, parts of Khayelitsha in Cape Town were no-go areas due to violent protests.

Maimane said he has written to the National Police Commissioner, General Khehla Sitole, requesting an urgent meeting to establish plans to put an end to the violence.

"SAPS [South African Police Service] must immediately institute a plan to halt the ANC's objective of inciting violence and turning our communities into war zones," he said.