Protests block 2 EL-KWT routes
Breidbach, Zwelitsha demands ‘being addressed’
VIOLENT protests south of King William’s Town yesterday continued, closing at least two routes to East London.
One protest took place in Breidbach and another in Zwelitsha.
Both started on Monday, with Breidbach residents demanding service delivery and houses, while the residents from Zwelitsha were protesting over a multimillion-rand water treatment project.
From around 4am yesterday Zwelitsha residents blocked the R102 between Phakamisa and Zwelitsha.
They burnt tyres, trees and poles demanding that a new project steering committee be appointed.
They claimed they were sidelined by ward 25 councillor Crosby Kolela when the incumbent committee was appointed last year. Resident Mbuyiseli Makana said residents wanted a “fair” employment process inclusive of all ward 25 residents. “We don’t want Phakamisa to benefit more than other areas just because the ward councillor stays there. The work has stopped at the construction site. Since Monday the workers have been turned away. We want the metro to address this urgently.”
Police spokeswoman Captain Siphokazi Mawisa said no protesters were arrested yesterday.
“At around 5am the police were already at the scenes.”
Responding to the Zwelitsha crisis BCM council chief whip Mzwandile Vaaiboom spoke to the residents and set up a meeting on Tuesday at Phakamisa hall. The protest was halted.
However, attempts to talk to protesters in Breidbach yesterday went less well. A meeting set for 8am yielded no results and the residents continued with the protest, stoning vehicles on the road. They said they were unhappy with the report-back.
Eastern Cape cooperative governance and traditional affairs (Cogta) MEC Fikile Xasa asked them to stop blockading the N2 between King William’s Town and East London as their grievances were being attended to. Xasa was with BCM’s Vaaiboom when he asked them to “cease fire”.
He promised to bring a delegation on Monday with relevant departments to report back concerning their service delivery grievances. However, soon after Xasa made the request some of them were seen throwing stones at cars on the N2.
Cogta spokesman Mamnkeli Ngam said: “The residents were expected to stop the protest. The MEC was sent by the executive council of the province to try and listen to their grievances and find a solution.
“The residents were informed that there is a contractor in place to address the housing problem.
“They were also informed that the electricity blocking issue has been sorted out to their satisfaction.
“Another meeting will take place in Breidbach to address all the finer details and put time-frames and solve the grievances point by point. BCM will lead the meeting.”
Yesterday the community agreed to hold off the strike until Monday.
By late yesterday the crowd was waiting for police to release protester Maria Damon. They said they would only stop their protest when she was freed.