Spike in protests is ‘political’

The sudden spike in service delivery protests is politically motivated and part of a plot to destabilise Western Cape municipalities, says Local Government MEC Anton Bredell.

On Monday, Botrivier residents blocked entrances to the town and stoned buildings out of frustration at the lack of service delivery. And on Tuesday some 1,000 people marched to the Breede Valley municipality in Worcester, demanding decent houses, electricity and basic services.

Bredell said he would instruct the mayors to hold urgent community meetings to address the residents’ concerns. “The mayors have received memorandums and they will deal with the issues. But there is a political agenda behind these protests.

“The people’s issues are being addressed through the correct processes, but certain people in these communities are fuelling the fire by rallying people to march and protest.”

Bredell said certain parties and candidates refused to accept the results of last year’s local elections. “They will do anything to destabilise a municipality for their own gains.”

But the ANC in the Western Cape hit back, saying there was “nothing political” about the protests. ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile said the protests had been led by communities who were “tired of the DA-led provincial government’s tricks”.

“In this instance, the DA cannot say it is politics,” Mjongile said. “People are truly suffering. It is winter and it is cold; people’s living conditions have pushed them to this point.”

He said the Western Cape government’s “toilet and tap approach” to housing delivery was not working. “It’s a failure,” he said. “People need houses, not serviced sites with a toilet and tap.”

Pat Maran, ANC Boland chairman who was part of the march yesterday, said residents were “sick” of the DA’s “non-delivery”. He said the people’s primary need was housing.

“There are serviced sites with basic services in Worcester and many other settlements, the people want walls – houses and nothing less,” Maran said. “Another concern is electricity cuts. People are being issued pink letters, but they cannot afford the high tariffs.”

Bredell said the provincial government did not have enough money to build every citizen a house.

He called on communities to refrain from participating in violent protests, which he said brought the towns to “a grinding halt”, saying his door was open should communities not find joy with their mayors.

- Cape Argus