Cars torched in Hout Bay protest
IMIZAMO YETHU remained on a knife edge as residents went on a rampage in Hout Bay, torching cars and vandalising property during a violent service delivery protest yesterday.
The violence erupted after talks between the city and community leaders broke down. A resident was wounded after being shot in the chest.
Emergency services were unable to enter the area owing to the running battles between residents and the police. Four people were arrested during the protest.
During the early hours of Sunday, Hout Bay residents said they heard chainsaws as trees were cut down along Victoria Road to block traffic along with burning tires and debris along the Main Road.
Residents had taken their frustration to the streets because of the city’s and provincial government’s Human Settlements department’s “empty promises and failure” to accommodate the 15 000 displaced after the fires, according to community leaders.
Imizamo Yethu Movement chairperson Markus Nduda said: “We were engaged with the officials over what they called ‘super-blocking,’ but still
nothing has been done. Now we demand they deliver on their promise to us of six-by-six pieces of land with basic services,” said Nduda.
He said more than three months had passed since hundreds of displaced families were placed in tiny four-by-four shacks at the Hout Bay sports field.
In March, the mayor had said that the whole community would be given the go-ahead for re-blocking to create space to reduce the fire hazard and build roads between homes for emergency access, which was set to take three months.
De Lille said she and city officials’ attempts to enter the area in order to engage with the community leadership was prevented.
“We are still trying to use all avenues to meet with community leadership to help the people of Imizamo Yethu and to make sure that the community gets the services they need as fast as possible,” said De Lille.
She said the disruption in the community was reaching dangerous levels, but remained willing to engage so that she could understand the issues and work with the people of Imizamo Yethu.
Police spokesperson Novela Potelwa said that the SAPS, along with law-enforcement agencies, had committed additional resources and activated a provincial joint and intelligence structure. She said that law-enforcement and disaster management caravans, a garage, an old-age home and vehicles were damaged during the protests.
Potelwa said four male suspects had been arrested for public violence, and a number of arson and malicious damage to property cases had been opened and detectives were investigating.
YESTERDAY morning I attempted to gain access into Imizamo Yethu to listen and to engage with the community leadership but I was prevented from doing so.
In the past, whenever a community requests a meeting I meet with the leadership. However, yesterday morning this was not allowed.
The disruption in the community is now reaching dangerous levels but I remain completely willing to personally go and mediate with the community to get to the bottom of their issues and to ensure the City of Cape Town keeps to its end of the bargain regarding development in Imizamo Yethu.
We are still trying to use all avenues to meet with community leadership to help the people of Imizamo Yethu and to make sure the community gets the services they need as fast as possible.
I am prioritising this matter and I am personally leading this and unblocking any issues. The community leaders have a direct line to me and I have in fact had media conferences with the leadership in the past where we reported on the progress of the re-blocking project.
We have regular meetings with the community, they have open access to the City and have ample opportunities to raise their issues with the City.
Meetings regarding development in Imizamo Yethu are held on a weekly basis with a dedicated project team.
I receive daily reports on the re-blocking project and I forward this to community leaders to ensure that they keep an eye on the development’s progress.
There are now some residents who are resorting to criminal behaviour and we cannot condone this.
The City is doing all it can to communicate with the community leadership so that progress can continue in the area. But we cannot be held to ransom by the anarchy caused by some residents.
I appeal to the SAPS to arrest the criminal elements.
I am also appealing to residents to allow us to meet with their leadership so that we can clearly understand their issues and work with them to help the people of Imizamo Yethu. Patricia de Lille Cape Town mayor