After a day of violence in Hangberg in which 18 people were injured and 62 residents were arrested, the City of Cape Town is taking a tough stance and drafting legal papers to have the remaining 52 illegal structures demolished through a court order.
The violence broke out after metro police officers arrived in Hangberg ahead of contract workers who were to enter the settlement to remove about 20 shacks that had been illegally built on a firebreak. By law, the city does not require a court order to demolish unoccupied structures, but needs one if the shacks are occupied.
The city had initially said it would remove only 17 “unoccupied” structures, but ended up demolishing more than 20.
Greg Louw of the Hout Bay Civic Association said the city had acted illegally and had no right to demolish any structures.
“There’s no court order. Nothing has been issued. These people have to give us proof,” said an angry Louw.
Last night, police were keeping a close eye on the tense Hangberg community in Hout Bay. Officers spent the night monitoring the area.
The situation escalated to such an extent yesterday that officers urgently ordered extra ammunition. Rubber bullets, in a bulging packet and boxes, arrived during the chaos. Scores of extra police officers were also called in.
Residents had apparently been prepared for yesterday’s action and positioned themselves on a slope above the only entrance to the settlement, where they clashed with police.
The residents threw rocks, stones, bricks, smoke grenades and petrol bombs at officers and fired distress flares at them.
Police fired rubber bullets at the residents and dragged those they caught down the slopes of the mountain and put them in police vans. Hout Bay police spokeswoman Tanya Lesch said more than 300 law enforcement personnel had been called to the scene.
Fifteen officers were injured and three residents reported being injured. Some photographers and reporters were hit by rubber bullets and stones during the clashes.
Lesch said that 62 residents arrested on suspicion of public violence were expected to appear in the Wynberg Magistrate’s Court today.
During the clashes yesterday residents threw rocks at an upmarket block of flats, Panorama Hills, breaking windows. Residents of the flats had to be escorted out.
At first a smaller group of officers had positioned themselves at the base of the slope on which the scores of residents were gathered.
But the residents, throwing stones and rocks and carrying planks, ran down towards them, causing the officers to flee.
“S***. Run. Run. We need more ammo. We need more officers!” one shouted wildly as he ran.
As another officer was running away from the approaching group, a rock hit her on her mouth. Another police officer was injured in the legs and was unable to walk. Colleagues had to carry her, as they tried to duck the shower of rocks while running towards an awaiting car. Further up the road more injured police officers sat or lay on the side of the road. “I’m in pain,” an officer with injured legs moaned.
Police managed to prevent the group of residents from storming down the road by firing a continuous hail of rubber bullets at them.
Two police Nyalas then blocked the entrance of the settlement. As more Nyalas entered the settlement, residents, some using doors as shields, threw rocks at the armoured vehicles and officers fired rubber bullets at them.
The residents then dispersed.
Felicity Jacobs, 51, a resident, cried as she described how she was shot in the head with a rubber bullet. Blood stained her pink top and a clinic card, which was tucked into her pocket. “I went to the clinic, but it was closed because of this, so I went to my brother’s house. I was sitting at the window when this thing just smashed through and hit my head. I just felt the warm blood. People aren’t safe in their own homes any more. I’ve lived here for 10 years. I’m not part of this, but I’m hurt,” Jacobs said.
Crying children could be seen peering from windows, pointing at armed police officers standing in the road below the settlement.
Soon afterwards, the residents again converged on the slope and started pelting officers with rocks and firing flares, which caused the points where they landed to catch alight.
As officers ducked for cover behind their shields, flares could be heard and seen whizzing by. A police van pulled up with a screech, and another injured officer, appearing dazed, with blood dripping from his mouth, was carried to it.
“F***. This is out of control,” a policeman muttered.
Eventually scores of officers in full riot gear managed to make their way into the settlement.
This caused a number of residents to flee on to the slopes of the Sentinel. The officers ran after them and a fire then broke out on the mountain. Residents claimed police started the fire to drive suspects they were chasing out of the area, but officers said residents started it. Thick orange flames quickly spread before being brought under control.
More officers escorted a group of contract workers to the area where the structures to be dismantled were located.
“You’re murderers. You can’t do this to us,” residents shouted at the officers as they walked by.
The violence eventually died down after the structures were dismantled, but the residents again gathered on the slopes of the settlement and threw a petrol bomb into a liquor store below.
Officers again fired rubber bullets at them and quickly doused the flames caused by the bomb.
Residents told the Cape Times they would stop the violence if the police left.
- Cape Times
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