Roads blocked as Egoli residents stage protest
POLICE fired rubber bullets and stun grenades to disperse a crowd of Egoli informal settlement residents after they vandalised several traffic lights during a protest on Strandfontein Road yesterday.
About 150 people from the area, near Philippi, barricaded Strandfontein Road with burning tyres and rocks. They also set alight traffic light control boxes and four traffic lights.
Two men, aged 19 and 35, and three females, aged 50, 30 and 46, were arrested for pub- lic violence and malicious damage to property.
The residents demanded basic services such as water, sanitation, electricity and proper roads. They have vowed to continue their protest until their demands were addressed, they said.
Egoli resident Igshaan Evans said people were fed up with empty promises from politicians who visited the area only during elections.
“Five of our people were arrested and kept at the police station. We will not stop until they answer us. We have had meetings with the City, but nothing came out of it. We will continue with this action until they respond to our grievances,” said Evans.
Traffic along Strandfontein Road came to a standstill as rubble dumped on the road had to be cleared.
Mayco member for Safety and Security JP Smith said: “The City of Cape Town condemns the actions of a small group of protesters who damaged City infrastructure along Strandfontein Road in the vicinity of Klip Road. The protesters set tyres alight on the roadway, and damaged two traffic light control boxes and four traffic lights.”
Police spokesperson FC Van Wyk said police were called out to a protest on the corner of Strandfontein and Boundary roads in Philippi.
“Protesters blocked off parts of Strandfontein and Boundary roads. Traffic was rerouted. The police’s public order policing unit brought the protest to a halt when protesters started stoning vehicles and police. Stun grenades and rubber bullets were used to disperse the crowd,” he said. siyavuya.mzantsi@inl.co.za
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