Cape Town - Protests flared up again in Vrygrond, near Muizenberg on Tuesday.
It appeared to be a continuation of a housing delivery protest that started on Monday night, where residents set alight debris, obstructing traffic on Prince George Drive in the Capricorn area.
A vehicle was also set alight, and a Pick n Pay liquor store was looted.
#VrygrondLandProtest We are in Vrygrond where protests have broken out. @TheCapeArgus @IOL pic.twitter.com/F8Gvu60x4H
— Marvin Charles (@MarvinCharles17) April 17, 2018
The protest is linked to vacant land which residents want to occupy. Residents of Vrygrond claim they own the land.
The police maintained a strong presence in the area as protesters continued to burn tyres and other debris.
#VrygrondLandProtest the ward Councillor has arrived. @TheCapeArgus pic.twitter.com/9L43I8nvHC
— Marvin Charles (@MarvinCharles17) April 17, 2018
“We are struggling. We use our Sassa money to pay our rent and we still need to buy food. We can’t cope,” resident Deborah Brant said.
Brant is a backyard dweller and lives in a shack with her four children.
#VrygrondLandProtest resident says the ward Councillor has failed them. @TheCapeArgus @IOL pic.twitter.com/cUArSwm3xp
— Marvin Charles (@MarvinCharles17) April 17, 2018
“I’ve been living here for 20 years and I have been asking for a house for a long time,” she said.
The residents demanded that the area's ward councillor Gerry Gordon address them.
#VrygrondLandProtest tension is growing as residents accuse the ward Councillor of lying. @IOL @TheCapeArgus pic.twitter.com/B86YCOU2Cy
— Marvin Charles (@MarvinCharles17) April 17, 2018
Gordon eventually arrived later on Tuesday afternoon.
“I am not sure about the logistics surrounding the piece of land. But I am aware that there is a court case regarding that land,” Gordon said.
#VrygrondLandProtest Ward Councillor vows not to move until she has spoken to @PatriciaDeLille. @IOL @TheCapeArgus pic.twitter.com/qH75rHuLcd
— Marvin Charles (@MarvinCharles17) April 17, 2018
She told them she would make contact with mayor Patricia de Lille. She vowed not to leave the area until she had spoken to the mayor.
Residents later grew restless and accused Gordon of lying to the media.