Cape Town – One of the organisers of the Total Shutdown protests in Cape Town and Paarl on Wednesday, Abdul Karriem Matthews, will be laying charges of assault and damage to property against a Colonel Botha of the Public Order Policing Unit.
Matthews told the Cape Times he was trying to have a "decent conversation" with Botha, who had ordered protesters to disperse within five minutes, when stun grenades and rubber bullets were fired at protesters and taxi drivers.
"My car was damaged by a stun grenade and I was assaulted by Colonel Botha. If you lay your hands on another individual and he keeps telling you not to do that, it is assault.
"We were protesting peacefully and in fact the first officials on the scene were Law Enforcement and Metro Police. There was no physical interaction between them and us.
"Just after 8am the AGU (Anti-Gang Unit) and Public Order Policing Unit appeared on the scene. We had a decent conversation with them at that time.
"By that time the taxi drivers had started joining in on the protest action. I was explaining to the Public Order Policing Unit the taxi drivers had joined in the protest because their problem is the local gangs tax them – they have to pay these gangs to operate in the area.
"At the same time, the gangsters would rob the commuters who use the taxis. So there was a blockade of the road.
"The Public Order Policing Unit said they were going to impound these vehicles and open up fire. I tried to have a decent conversation with them but a Colonel Botha from the Public Order Policing was adamant we had to disperse in five minutes.
"While I was still attempting to calm things down on both sides, Colonel Botha gave instructions to open fire with stun grenades and rubber bullets, which they did.
"They opened fire again and at that stage the community started dispersing."
Police spokesperson Sergeant George Mjiwu said: "A case of public violence is under investigation following 150 violent protesters blocking the roads at the corner of Lavis Drive and 35th Avenue in Bishop Lavis this morning.
"One taxi was impounded and one arrest was made and police had to use stun grenades and rubber bullets to disperse the violent crowd, after they refused to leave on police request."
Commenting on the other protests in Hanover Park, Bonteheuwel, Elsies River, Beacon Valley, Tafelsig, Khayelitsha and Paarl, Matthews said: "We will be heading to Hanover Park where the government will take receipt of our demands.
"We have sent an invitation to the premier and all of his MECs, and also the mayor and all of his Mayco members to take receipt of our memorandum of demands.
"Last year, unlike at any other protest action, we gave an undertaking that we would engage in peaceful protest action, which we did. Last year again it was in Bonteheuwel where the Public Order Policing opened fire.
"On the Lavis side, the SAPS and the Metro Police actually assisted the Total Shutdown movement in closing down the streets. It was only when the Public Order Policing Unit comes on the scene that things escalate.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/totalshutdown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#totalshutdownpolice fire rubber bullets to disperse protesters in Bishop Lavis. One has been arrested @GroundUp_News pic.twitter.com/F2qDS1oPKD
— Ashraf Hendricks (@AshrafRSA)
"We have issued the same demands as last year to the government and they refused to listen to us. Instead of permanent base camps and tactical response units they have given us an AGU and an SANDF that have been completely ineffectual.
"This time we won't give them a deadline of a month to reply to us. We will give them an ultimatum and if it's not adhered to within seven days, we will engage in rolling total shutdown activities.
"So we are no longer talking of five hours in the morning, it will be one after the other and we will keep hitting the government until such time they listen to us, the people who pay their salaries."
At 9.52am, the City of Cape Town Traffic Service's Richard Coleman said: "All roads have been reopened in Hanover Park and Bishop Lavis.
"Memorandum handed over to SAPS by three different groups. Order restored."
Hanover Park Avenue North had been closed from Downberg Road and Lonedowne Road West was closed from Heinz Road, with protesters blocking roadways.
"Taxi operators blocking Lavis Drive that is turning in from 35th Avenue Bishop Lavis. Buses denied entry and forced to turn around," said Coleman.
Coleman said at 8.15am that 35th Avenue, which had been closed from Robert Sobukwe Road due to a large group in the road at Lavis Drive, had been reopened both ways, after 35th Avenue south was also closed from Owen Road due to stone-throwing.
However, at 8.50am, Coleman said: "35th Avenue closed again both ways as requested by POPS (Public Order Policing Unit)."
Earlier, at Turfhall Road and Hanover Park Avenue, there were bricks in the road at the intersection going towards Belgravia Road, 1Second reported, with about six people protesting.
%%%twitter https://twitter.com/hashtag/totalshutdown?src=hash&ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw">#totalshutdownPolice have dispersed protesters with stun grenades for blocking the street. One taxi had been impounded. Police and protesters are still on the scene. @GroundUp_News pic.twitter.com/ctHAmhyaJ8
— Ashraf Hendricks (@AshrafRSA)