City to fence the N2 to stop road blockage

Special clearing vehicle purchased

A GIANT fence to separate the N2 from people in settlements alongside the highway is on the cards, set to run for 20km in a bid to prevent people gaining access to the road.

Labelled by mayoral committee member for safety and security JP Smith as being part of the city’s and the province’s strategy to “secure the N2”, news of the plan emerged yesterday after burning tyres and faeces dumped on the road led to the N2 being closed for much of Thursday night.

The fence will line the N2, on the Nyanga side, between Baden Powell and Robert Sobukwe drives. Smith said it followed numerous protests that have affected the road, and came out of government talks dating back about a year.

Hitting out at the faeces protesters, Smith said the “original toilet issue” did not even involve the city.

“It stems from a labour dispute between the contractor and the employee. The city paid the contractor, who tried to amend salary scales. Political opportunism drove it into this frenzy, and we end up with the poo,” he said, charging that “everyone” knew who was behind the protests.

But the city would not allow people taking part in protests on the N2 to “have an impact on economic activity and the safety of others’ lives”.

Another concern was people running across the highway, and Smith said last year’s statistics showed that the bulk of deaths as a result of vehiclerelated accidents in the Western Cape were pedestrians.

Smith added that the existing fencing was very brittle and easy to destroy. The new, more durable fencing – a metal mesh wire fence – would be tested on 3.6km of road at Borcherd’s Quarry on the N2.

‘We are anticipating that in the run-up to the elections hooliganism will escalate’

– JP Smith

“It’s the most vulnerable section. The fence has the highest security rating, it is much easier to repair when damaged, and it is far more attractive,” he said.

The fence was also more transparent than the current one, and it would create an “environment with more dignity and more transparency”.

Provincial and local government were waiting for the purchase to be completed before the pilot fencing, which would cost just less than R5 million, was erected. The city was buying a specially equipped heavy duty vehicle to clear the road within about 15 minutes of an incident.

They were hoping to have the vehicle, which would be cheaper to buy than pay for on a contract basis, by the end of the year. “We’re anticipating that in the run-up to the elections hooliganism will escalate,” Smith said.

But Tony Ehrenreich, ANC leader in the city council, dismissed Smith’s comments about the faeces attacks as “stupidity in the extreme”.

“Everyone in the ANC has condemned this. I don’t know how he can suggest this is an ANC campaign, it’s childish ranting,” he said.

Ehrenreich also accused the DA of not prioritising black people, saying the party’s “disregard” was being exposed by residents in many areas.

“Now they are looking for political scapegoats. “The DA needed to address the root causes of protests, and not the consequences.

“Smith is suggesting they will not deal with the problem, but deal with the consequences. That is clearly shortsighted and not a remedy for success. They should build partnerships with communities and prioritise service delivery,” he said.