Cape Town - The “poo war” resumed on Monday as four men, believed to be members of the African National Congress Youth League (ANCYL), emptied their portaloos in front of the provincial legislature on Wale Street in Cape Town.
The four fled after dumping the faeces and police have yet to make any arrests.
Western Cape police spokesman Lieutenant-Colonel André Traut said they are still investigating.
Premier Helen Zille’s spokesman Zak Mbhele said on Monday the protests were ironic because “they are in fact protesting (against) flush toilets being delivered by the City of Cape Town. The portable flush toilets being offered in informal settlements are meant to eradicate the last remnants of the bucket system”.
Ivan Meyer, provincial leader of the DA, demanded that ANCYL convener Muhammad Khalid Sayed release the names of the four men since he had admitted in a television interview with eNCA that “the men who dumped buckets of faeces on the steps of the Western Cape legislature earlier today are members of the ANCYL”.
Meyer said Sayed was obliged to release their names to the police or he would be accused of aiding and abetting criminals.
More poo was dumped outside the provincial legislature building in Cape Town on Monday. Photo: Willem Law
Cape Argus
Monday was a continuation of the ANCYL’s “ungovernability campaign”, Meyer said.
But when contacted on Monday, Sayed said he did not know the names of the men and that he had recognised the people in the footage as “community members who support the youth league”, but was not sure whether they were members.
Sayed said the people who had participated in the “poo war” did so as community activists and not necessarily as members of the ANCYL. They also used the “glorified bucket toilet system”.
Responding to Meyer’s accusations, Sayed said that even if he did know their names it was up to the police to investigate the matter.
The protesters were frustrated with the City of Cape Town and the provincial government because they “did not meet the people halfway”. “They are denialists. If you don’t apologise and tell people what your plans are, they will always be disgruntled.”
Sayed said he planned to engage with national Minister of Human Settlements Connie September on the matter.
Meanwhile, nine men accused of dumping human waste at Cape Town International Airport will continue to protest using any material, including faeces, one of their leaders said after appearing in court on Monday.
ANC councillor Loyiso Nkohla addressed the media after he and eight others appeared in the Bellville Magistrate’s Court.
The packed public gallery rose to their feet as Nkohla, expelled ANC councillor Andile Lili, Yanga Njingwana, Ben Dyoni, Bantubakhe Ngobodiya, Wandesile Mkapa, Jaj Dimiso, Bongile Zamazo and Thembela Mabajwa entered the dock.
The court heard that the police’s investigation was complete and the matter was ready to be transferred to the Bellville Regional Court for trial.
The men have not yet pleaded to charges of contravening the Civil Aviation Act, which carries a minimum sentence of 30 years in jail or an unlimited fine.
The men were arrested for dumping 10 buckets of human waste at the entrance to the airport on June 25.
Outside court, Nkohla said he and fellow residents would continue to fight for flushing toilets and access to proper sanitation. “That is the essence of our fight. We will use any form of protest until we get what we want. It is immaterial how many times we get arrested,” Nkohla said.
The men, previously denied bail by Bellville magistrate Jannie Kotze, have been freed on R2 000 bail after they took Kotze’s decision to deny them bail on appeal to the Western Cape High Court.
The nine are due back in court on September 16 when their case is expected to be transferred to the regional court.
No comments:
Post a Comment