Cape Town - Protesters blocked Spine, Mew Way and the N2 Freeway with burning tyres and rocks on Tuesday morning, demanding better service delivery from the City of Cape Town.
The protesters, believed to be members of the Intlungu yaseMatyotyombeni Movement, are demanding basic services such as running water, toilets and electricity for all townships.
SAPS spokesperson Novela Potelwa said police officials had their hands full dealing with the protests which affected early morning traffic on a number of key routes in the city.
"POP (Public Order Police) unit members and police officials from local police stations had their hands full trying to quell a number of service delivery protests that saw major roads, including the N2 highway, closed in Cape Town,“ Potelwa said.
The protests, which started in the early morning affected the N2 highway (both directions), Mew Way, Baden Powell, the R300 and Hindle Road. Rubble and tyres were burnt by groups of about 50 to 60 protesters.
As the morning progressed, the protesters moved to the corner of Mew Way and Spine Road in Khayelitsha, Spine Road in Ilitha Park near False Bay College, and Spine Road and Jafta K Masemola in Town Two in Khayelitsha.
“Old Faure Road at Mew Way and Baden Powell at Jafta K Masemola remain closed to traffic. The N2 highway is open,” Potelwa said.
“When the police approached the groups they scattered in different directions only to reconvene afterwards.
“The burning of tyres and rubble on the roads resulted in road closures and the diversion of traffic,” Potelwa said.
“The SAPS is still trying to verify unconfirmed reports of taxi drivers firing warning shots at a group of protesters in Makhaza mid-morning.”
The City said it respects the right of groups to protest, but condemns violence, criminality, thuggery and the destruction of public property and disruption to residents trying to go about their daily lives.
“Such actions move us backward and civic organisations and political parties should not condone such behaviour.”
Mayco Members for Water and Waste, Xanthea Limberg, and Human Settlements, Malusi Booi, refuted claims of not delivering basic services.
“The City continues to provide basic water and sanitation services, such as toilets and taps for water, to informal settlements across Cape Town, where possible.
“Providing services is a challenge when, due to unlawful occupation, residents settle on land that is not suitable for the installation of such services,” said Limberg.
“The City is also not allowed to install services on privately-owned land without permission and in these instances, can only install services on the periphery, on City-owned land.
“The City will continue to work closely with ward councillors and informal settlement leadership structures to unlock additional opportunities for provision of basic water and sanitation, where it is possible to do so.”
Booi meanwhile explained that the City is unable to cater for these “numerous newly established communities are demanding services”.
“Planned and budgeted projects are prioritised. Assessments of all unlawfully occupied areas are being undertaken and will continue to be undertaken across the metro. Noting that the far greatest majority of the settlements have been established on unsuitable land or land with great constraints for service delivery and land where the installation of bulk services for servicing was never planned.
“In general, in the City’s existing settlements where the conditions make it possible and in City electricity supply areas, we are surpassing the national benchmarks for service provision. The commitment is there from our side, but it must be possible and it must be done in a planned and ordered manner,“ said Booi.
The ANC in the Dullah Omar Region in response called on the DA-led City to stop ignoring the plight of the poor communities in Cape Town and to accelerate service delivery to these areas.
“The DA has continued to ignore these communities and side-line them when it comes to service delivery. This is clearly demonstrated by the DA-led City of Cape Town failing to spend it’s budget and sending money back to treasury every single year when it comes to housing, infrastructure development and upgrading informal settlement.
“The occurrences of the shutdown protests across the City are an indication of the overwhelming frustration that ordinary people on the Cape Flats have with the Democratic Alliance arrogance and incompetence.
"They cannot continue as if it is business as usual while the people on the ground are clearly demonstrating their dissatisfaction and anger at the status quo. The DA-led administration must provide services to all Capetonians and not only to a select few,“ said Vuyiso JJ Tyhalisisu, ANC Dullah Omar Region Secretary.
“The ANC in Dullah Omar also calls on our communities to refrain from destroying the little public infrastructure we have in our communities.”
DA Western Cape leader Bonginkosi Madikizela lashed out saying that who said that the protests in Khayelitsha do not seem to be related to service delivery at all.
“While the Democratic Alliance respects every citizen’s right to protest, we believe that these protest, which causes damage to property and endangers citizen’s lives and livelihoods, are merely politicking and thuggery masked as service delivery protests.
“We call on those orchestrating these destructive protests to put the interest of the people before their own, and to consider the terrible impact it has on all residents, especially the poor.”
In an interview with CapeTalk Cape Town Traffic Chief Richard Coleman said that while there protests had stopped, the City of Cape Town Traffic is concerned about a resurgence of protests and disruption during late afternoon peak traffic.
“We are keeping our eye on those protests and have roleplayers in place.”
Cape Argus