Cape Town protests soar as people tire of waiting for houses
Land invasions endanger the invaders and jeopardise the city’s development plans, says mayoral committee member JP Smith
Smashed windows‚ broken glass and looted shops greeted residents of Mitchells Plain at dawn on Tuesday in the aftermath of a thwarted land invasion that turned violent in Cape Town. Protesters set alight tyres and fired live ammunition at police in a tense standoff in the area on Monday. Residents who said they were fed up with waiting for the city to provide them with proper housing‚ marked out plots at the weekend and erected structures in Woodlands. It was a scene that has played out across the city in the past few weeks, and which has often ended in violent confrontation and the temporary closure of major roads. Cape Town has experienced a surge in violent protests in 2018. There had been 145 incidents by mid-May, compared with 84 during the same period in 2017 — representing a 73% increase in protests. Police identified 34 conflict areas. In the past week affected areas included Vrygrond‚ Parkwood‚ Bo-Kaap‚ Ocean View‚ Gugulethu‚ Macassar‚ Khayelitsha‚ Robert Sobukwe Road and 3...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.