Cape Town - Western Cape Premier Helen Zille has warned people in Cape Town’s city centre, including shop owners, drivers and pedestrians, to be vigilant, following threats by Ses’khona Peoples Rights Movement to stage a sit-in at the provincial legislature.
She said they had heard reports that Ses’khona was planning the sit-in and had threatened disruptions.
“They’ve made this threat because they claim that the Western Cape government has not responded to their memorandums handed over during previous marches to the legislature.”
Zille said this claim was not true, and listed instances of how the provincial government had constantly tried to engage with the organisation, dating back to 2013, despite their repeated breaking of the law during protest action.
“Despite the Western Cape government’s efforts to engage with Ses’khona in good faith, the organisation, by its own admission, is determined to make this province ungovernable and is supported by the ANC. This is why they disrupted our meeting with them and have refused to work with us to improve service delivery in communities.
“If they truly cared about the plight of citizens living in informal settlements they would have agreed to work with us when tried to engage with them in 2013.”
Zille said all complaints and demands received directly from Ses’khona and which fell within the competency of the Western Cape government, been responded to. “Any matters relating to the City of Cape Town have been referred to the city for their response.”
Zille called on the police to have an action plan ready.
“The Western Cape government continues to work tirelessly to provide services which people cannot provide for themselves, and we remain committed to doing so despite groups like Ses’khona who are hellbent on making this province ungovernable in order to further their own political agendas.”
Cape Argus