Leaders of the ANC Youth League at the centre of the Makhaza open toilets protests were arrested on Tuesday as outrage spread.
Violent clashes between police and angry residents had several other parts of Khayelitsha resembling a war zone.
"Ek skiet jou vrek (I'll shoot you dead)," a policeman with pistol drawn, shouted at a woman who was hiding in the bush. His colleague fired rubber bullets at her at close range.
In a scene reminiscent of anti-apartheid protests, marchers singing Senzeni na Senzeni na (What have we done, what have we done?) were violently dispersed as police with riot shields charged at them as they sat down in the street.
Several people were detained and bundled into the backs of police vans, including ANCYL Dullah Omar Region executive member Loyiso Nkohla, after he had emptied a bucket toilet in front of police.
Last week he and the league threatened to make Cape Town "ungovernable" over the unenclosed toilets.
Also arrested was league member and Ward 95 Development Forum leader, Andile Lili.
Cape Town mayor Dan Plato has claimed Lili was party to the decision to build the open toilets but had since led protests against it.
In the clashes, many rubber bullets were fired and several stun grenades lobbed by police as they tried to control unruly crowds who demonstrated at various places in the township.
What started as a single protest over toilet enclosures late on Monday evening - with tyres being burned in Baden Powell Drive - developed into protests against poor services on Tuesday morning and spread to Mew Way, close to the N2 freeway, Walter Sisulu Drive in Makhaza and an area near the R300 highway.
By noon several fires extinguished earlier had been re-started, a pall of black smoke hung over Khayelitsha and 32 people were in police custody.
At about 6.30am passing vehicles on the N2 were pelted with stones as residents of Taiwan informal settlement in Site C protested along Mew Way and burned rubbish in the street.
The N2 was closed intermittently as Metro Police tried to restore order.
While the Site C crowd was being dispersed, 3km away about 60 residents of Makhaza marched to Baden Powell Drive. Joined by residents of Nkanini, they burned tyres forcing motorists to turn away.
While a police helicopter circled, police and protest leaders argued about what had motivated the protest.
Moments later all hell broke loose as stun grenades were lobbed and rubber bullets were fired.
Police fired more rubber bullets as they chased protesters through backyards and nearby bush while journalists on the scene ducked for cover.
Nkanini resident Lefty Martinus complained about a rubber bullet that shattered his shack’s window while he was bathing his baby.
”I heard people running outside and suddenly the window broke. My child could have been injured,” he said.
An angry Lili said Makhaza residents would continue their fight for decent toilets.
”Our people will not be intimidated by guns. This protest action will continue day and night,” Lili said.
Several skirmishes followed after he spoke as Metro Police chased and shot at protesters who had regrouped.
To demonstrate residents’ grievances over open toilets Nkohla emptied his bucket toilet in front of police. Nkohla was detained, as were four men whom police had chased earlier.
What followed was a tense stand-off between police and demonstrators who sat down every time police confronted them.
Meanwhile, burning barricades were erected in Walter Sisulu Drive and demonstrators scattered every time police arrived.
Later the Makhaza and Nkanini protesters marched to the Harare police station to demand the release of Nkohla and others, but were stopped about a kilometre away from the police station.
Ward 95 Development Forum executive Lillian Zono said: “We were promised services, but people are still waiting. We have no toilets. Nkanini people are with us in our fight because they have no electricity.”
Said the SA National Civics Organisation chairman in Nkanini, Columbus Cici: “People have rights. They have a right to decent services. Electricity does not come here and that is a big problem.”
Khayelitsha police spokesperson Anneke van der Vyver said eight of the 32 people detained would face public violence charges and were expected to appear in court on Wednesday. The others would be charged for contravening the Illegal Gatherings Act.
”The situation is still tense, but under control. Police have been deployed in all areas and are ready to act. Sporadic incidents are still taking place,” Van der Vyver said.
Tuesday’s unrest followed the city council’s removal of open toilets in Makhaza on Monday and after the ANCYL vowed to make the city “ungovernable”.
Premier Helen Zille on Tuesday defended Cape Town mayor Dan Plato who came under attack from the ANC. Several ANC members have accused Plato of inciting violence and destruction following his comment to Makhaza residents “to burn tyres and protest against the ANC Youth League”.
Speaking in the Provincial Legislature, Zille said Plato had never called for destruction and had instead called on the residents to vent their frustrations againstthe ANCYL.
Violent clashes between police and angry residents had several other parts of Khayelitsha resembling a war zone.
"Ek skiet jou vrek (I'll shoot you dead)," a policeman with pistol drawn, shouted at a woman who was hiding in the bush. His colleague fired rubber bullets at her at close range.
In a scene reminiscent of anti-apartheid protests, marchers singing Senzeni na Senzeni na (What have we done, what have we done?) were violently dispersed as police with riot shields charged at them as they sat down in the street.
Several people were detained and bundled into the backs of police vans, including ANCYL Dullah Omar Region executive member Loyiso Nkohla, after he had emptied a bucket toilet in front of police.
Last week he and the league threatened to make Cape Town "ungovernable" over the unenclosed toilets.
Also arrested was league member and Ward 95 Development Forum leader, Andile Lili.
Cape Town mayor Dan Plato has claimed Lili was party to the decision to build the open toilets but had since led protests against it.
In the clashes, many rubber bullets were fired and several stun grenades lobbed by police as they tried to control unruly crowds who demonstrated at various places in the township.
What started as a single protest over toilet enclosures late on Monday evening - with tyres being burned in Baden Powell Drive - developed into protests against poor services on Tuesday morning and spread to Mew Way, close to the N2 freeway, Walter Sisulu Drive in Makhaza and an area near the R300 highway.
By noon several fires extinguished earlier had been re-started, a pall of black smoke hung over Khayelitsha and 32 people were in police custody.
At about 6.30am passing vehicles on the N2 were pelted with stones as residents of Taiwan informal settlement in Site C protested along Mew Way and burned rubbish in the street.
The N2 was closed intermittently as Metro Police tried to restore order.
While the Site C crowd was being dispersed, 3km away about 60 residents of Makhaza marched to Baden Powell Drive. Joined by residents of Nkanini, they burned tyres forcing motorists to turn away.
While a police helicopter circled, police and protest leaders argued about what had motivated the protest.
Moments later all hell broke loose as stun grenades were lobbed and rubber bullets were fired.
Police fired more rubber bullets as they chased protesters through backyards and nearby bush while journalists on the scene ducked for cover.
Nkanini resident Lefty Martinus complained about a rubber bullet that shattered his shack’s window while he was bathing his baby.
”I heard people running outside and suddenly the window broke. My child could have been injured,” he said.
An angry Lili said Makhaza residents would continue their fight for decent toilets.
”Our people will not be intimidated by guns. This protest action will continue day and night,” Lili said.
Several skirmishes followed after he spoke as Metro Police chased and shot at protesters who had regrouped.
To demonstrate residents’ grievances over open toilets Nkohla emptied his bucket toilet in front of police. Nkohla was detained, as were four men whom police had chased earlier.
What followed was a tense stand-off between police and demonstrators who sat down every time police confronted them.
Meanwhile, burning barricades were erected in Walter Sisulu Drive and demonstrators scattered every time police arrived.
Later the Makhaza and Nkanini protesters marched to the Harare police station to demand the release of Nkohla and others, but were stopped about a kilometre away from the police station.
Ward 95 Development Forum executive Lillian Zono said: “We were promised services, but people are still waiting. We have no toilets. Nkanini people are with us in our fight because they have no electricity.”
Said the SA National Civics Organisation chairman in Nkanini, Columbus Cici: “People have rights. They have a right to decent services. Electricity does not come here and that is a big problem.”
Khayelitsha police spokesperson Anneke van der Vyver said eight of the 32 people detained would face public violence charges and were expected to appear in court on Wednesday. The others would be charged for contravening the Illegal Gatherings Act.
”The situation is still tense, but under control. Police have been deployed in all areas and are ready to act. Sporadic incidents are still taking place,” Van der Vyver said.
Tuesday’s unrest followed the city council’s removal of open toilets in Makhaza on Monday and after the ANCYL vowed to make the city “ungovernable”.
Premier Helen Zille on Tuesday defended Cape Town mayor Dan Plato who came under attack from the ANC. Several ANC members have accused Plato of inciting violence and destruction following his comment to Makhaza residents “to burn tyres and protest against the ANC Youth League”.
Speaking in the Provincial Legislature, Zille said Plato had never called for destruction and had instead called on the residents to vent their frustrations againstthe ANCYL.
- Cape Times
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