Winde slams violent protests, land invasions in Western Cape
Western Cape Premier Alan Winde has slammed the outbreak of protests across the province following a number of clashes between the law enforcement and residents.
Khayelitsha and Mfuleni, near Cape Town, are among the areas rocked by protests.
The City of Cape Town has seen widespread land grabs in the past week leading to a court battle involving the South African Human Rights Commission (SAHRC) and the Legal Resource Centre.
Winde has called for calm across the province.
“I absolutely condemn the violent protests and land invasions that we have been seeing of late here in the Western Cape.
“It is really unacceptable that these thugs go about their day destroying infrastructure and services that are meant for specifically the poorest of the poor.”
ALSO READ:
Kubayi-Ngubani to take restaurant pleas to the NCCC
Restaurants, cafes and eateries around the country held a 'million seats on the streets' protest on Wednesday. RASA - which led the campaign - had written to various ministers and President Cyril Ramaphosa to lift the alcohol ban and to do away with the curfew.
On Monday Eskom withdrew operations in parts of Khayelitsha and Mfuleni following two violent incidents.
A company vehicle was stoned and set alight by protesters.
“We’ve seen firefighters being attacked in their way to fight fires and being seriously injured. We’ve seen refuse removal trucks being damaged while providing services to citizens, fires have been started destroying school property, a school library in one and school hall in another. We’ve seen Eskom staff being robbed and attacked while going to offer services to the people.
“We need these thugs and perpetrators to be brought to book,” Winde adds.
Earlier this month, the city was hauled in front of Parliament to account for the clashes between law enforcement and residents during evictions.