Cape Town – Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith has promised an extended crackdown on minibus taxi drivers and operators over protest action in Dunoon.
After protest action had calmed down on Friday, a large group of protesters started stoning vehicles again on the N7 at noon, forcing the SAPS to return to the scene.
After the N7 south-bound had been reopened, Cape Town Traffic Service spokesperson Richard Coleman said in a protest action update: "Potsdam Road closed in both directions between Malibongwe Road and Killarney Road. N7 closed in both directions between Plattekloof Road and Malibongwe Road."
However, the N7 was opened again in a south-bound direction 20 minutes later and the north-bound lane was reopened at 12.44pm.
Earlier in the morning, among others, two trucks and a MyCiTi station in Dunoon were set alight, and motorists pelted with stones.
Smith said: "The unrest started earlier this week – allegedly in response to an operation by our Traffic Service around minibus taxis."
Protesters threw stones and set tyres alight from early yesterday and at lunchtime two traffic officers were attacked at a garage in Koeberg Road in Milnerton by suspects travelling in six taxis.
This was the second incident in that area in less than a week. Last Thursday, just before 5pm, two traffic officers were attacked by a taxi driver during an operation in the area, Cape Town Traffic Service spokesperson Richard Coleman said.
Smith added: "The City of Cape Town has deployed considerable resources to assist SAPS with the ongoing unrest and vandalism in the Dunoon/Milnerton area.
"Taxi drivers and owners believe that they should not be fined or arrested for offences and that the City should engage them first in discussions about these offences. This is a preposterous proposal.
"Public transport operators and owners need to realise that the law applies just as much to them as every other motorist and that they have a larger burden of responsibility than anybody else on the road. Their conduct is a disgrace.
Protesters set a truck alight in Malibongwe Road. Video: Henk Kruger / African News Agency (ANA)
"The violence, injuries and damage to public and private property cannot be condoned, and the City calls on the SAPS to arrest those responsible.
"The City strongly condemns the disruption to motor vehicle traffic and commuters yesterday and today as well as the cowardly attacks on private motor vehicles by so-called protestors.
"We have also had at least two incidents where traffic officers have been attacked and we call on anyone with information about these attacks to come forward so that the perpetrators can be brought to justice.
"Currently, the City has 71 traffic officers and 52 vehicles in the affected areas, assisting with traffic management and clearing of roads.
"The Metro Police Department’s Tactical Response Team has also been deployed, along with staff from other areas, to support the SAPS public order policing unit.
"The water cannon is currently undergoing repairs after electrical systems damage and we hope to deploy it within the next couple of hours.
" This is not the first time that public transport operators react violently to our efforts to enforce the law, but the City will not bow to this type of intimidation.
"As Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security, I am calling on the senior staff within the Directorate to arrange for an extended and intensive lockdown operations around public transport in Dunoon to ensure that the perpetrators understand that selfish, violent and reckless behaviour has legal consequences."
There was early morning rush-hour chaos for several hours due to the N7 being closed in both directions between Plattekloof and Malibongwe roads until after 10am, with traffic congestion also experienced in Milnerton.
Due to another truck being set alight – this time on Malibongwe Road – the road was closed from Potsdam Road, Coleman said at 10.35am.
Western Cape police spokesperson Siyabulela Malo said at 10.27am no arrests had been made as yet.