Weekend Argus (Saturday Edition)
Week-long housing protests stun sleepy Plett
PLETTENBERG Bay and surrounding areas were plunged into chaos this week when violent housing riots gripped the coastal holiday town.
Not only was access to the town crippled as protesters barricaded main roads and pelted vehicles with stones, but several businesses were forced to shut their doors due to petrol bombings and looting.
Firefighters had their hands full dealing with the arson attacks and some schools closed in the middle of exams as a precautionary measure.
“It felt like we were being held hostage in our town,” resident Joanne Barrett said.
The protest action started on Monday, when residents of Qolweni blocked the N2 near the town’s industrial area.
This was sparked by an incident on June 3, when a fire ripped through Qolweni, destroying 25 homes.
Authorities managed to disperse the disgruntled residents, but the riots flared up several times until the situation took a turn for the worse on Tuesday night.
Plettenberg Bay Crime Prevention Association operations head Otto Olivier said that protesters not only blocked the N2, but they started pelting passing vehicles with rocks.
The riots sporadically flared up again on Wednesday and police had to intervene by using stun grenades.
The riots escalated dramatically on Thursday.
Plett Watch rapid response member Wesley Andrew said there were also incidents where rioters used petrol bombs to set properties alight.
One of these was the Spot- light Night Club off the N2. Andrew said substantial damage was caused before firefighters could douse the flames.
Other properties targeted included the upmarket estate Schoongezicht Country Estate, in Piesang Valley.
A Working on Fire helicopter was used to douse the flames.
Andrew added that in Kurland Village in the Crags, protesters set bush alight and the fire spread towards the Tsitsikamma area due to hot and windy conditions.
This forced the provincial traffic department to close the Tsitsikamma Toll Plaza.
Motorists were also advised not to use the Nature’s Valley road as the smoke caused low visibility.
Provincial traffic chief Kenny Africa confirmed that they could only reopen the toll gates on Thursday afternoon.
This was not the first time Kurland Village residents, who barricaded the access road on Thursday, have protested.
Last month residents took part in a protest after several dwellings burnt down.
The protesters set fire to a satellite police station.
Residents from Green Valley in Wittedrift also blocked the area on Thursday.
Southern Cape police spokesperson Captain Malcolm Pojie said seven protesters were arrested and would appear in the local magistrate’s court on Monday on charges of public violence.
Municipal spokesperson Manfred van Rooyen said Bitou mayor Peter Lobese met the protesters on Thursday.
“Although housing is on the top of their list of concerns, unemployment, a clinic and a school for Qolweni also came up,” Van Rooyen said.
He added that Lobese agreed to interact with government departments to deal with their concerns.
Lobese will report to the community seven days after the meeting. This ended riots for the first time in four days.
Knysna was also hit by protests, which started at Nekkies, where residents blocked the N2 for about three hours, leaving motorists stranded.
Yesterday morning Smutsville residents in Sedgefield joined the action, but the situation was soon defused.
Municipality spokesperson Chumisa Kalawe said the municipality and Western Cape Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela had since visited the communities to address the issues.