Cape Town - Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith has said thorough police investigations and prosecutions are needed to stem public violence across Cape Town.
According to the City, its records indicated that eight protest actions resulted in three injuries to staff, 11 vehicles damaged and 25 arrests in the past weeks.
Smith said since July 11, there have been 104 protest actions logged, with 46 injuries to staff, 32 government and private vehicles damaged and 84 arrests.
He said in the last week, there has been a slight downturn in the number of protests, but it continued eating away at their resources.
“While costs can be attached to the infrastructural damage, the emotional and psychological toll on enforcement staff and the affected members of the public and business cannot be quantified,” Smith said.
He said the sustained unrest also means they have fewer resources to address other pressing crime and anti-social issues.
He said the focus on public unrest was unsustainable, and the City appealed to the criminal justice system to deal swiftly with cases brought before the courts for public violence.
“Effective prosecution is the only way we can bring a stop to the ever-increasing violence associated with protest action. We also appeal to the police to do everything possible to track down the persons leading these violent protests.”
Community Safety MEC Albert Fritz said public violence and lootings had no place in the province.
“I have recently met with the National Police Commissioner, Khehla Sitole, and there were many positive solutions put forward to tackle the spate of violent protest in the province. The solutions focused on intelligence gathering, resource deployment and ensuring those responsible for destabilisation are brought to book.”
Fritz said the recently released quarterly crime statistics showed an increase in crime categories such as burglary at non-residential premises (8.2%) and stock theft (16.8%). He said that was in part attributed to the recent spate in violent protest action and lootings during the lockdown.
Golden Arrow Bus Services general manager Derick Meyer said they were also concerned about the ongoing arson attacks which have resulted in five destroyed buses in the last two weeks due to the public violence. He said Golden Arrow could never replace the role the authorities must play.
Cape Argus