Cape Town - Opposition parties have come out in support of protesting informal settlement residents demanding better services, but say that any protests must be peaceful and free of violence.
Last week, thousands of protesters from townships across Cape Town marched to the provincial legislature demanding proper housing, sanitation and services for the poor, but the action was marred by looting and incidents of violence.
Reacting to the news that further protests were being planned by leaders of informal settlements, ANC provincial secretary Songezo Mjongile said that from where his party sat, it seemed “the issue of service delivery in the province is a crisis and needs urgent intervention from the national government”.
“We believe that the national government must urgently come to the Western Cape and engage with the affected communities because the DA has proven to be incapable of addressing the concerns of our people,” Mjongile said.
He added that while people had a democratic right to protest they must ensure they did so peacefully.
“As the ANC we are calling on all those who are engaged in service delivery protests to respect the rights of others,” he said.
“Nobody has the right to create chaos and anarchy in the name of service delivery protests.”
Cope’s leader in the legislature and in the province, Mbulelo Ncedana, said Cope supported protest if it was peaceful. “People should be able to go to work. If protest was disruptive to government we would not have a problem with that, but we will have a problem with protests which seek to cause more harm to the people.”
Ncedana said service delivery was neglected in the Western Cape and the country. “Government – both ANC and the DA – choose not to take serious the plight of the poor.”
The African Christian Democratic Party’s leader in the legislature, Grant Haskin, said organisers and leaders of any march must take responsibility for any damage caused. “They should give an undertaking beforehand that they will not disrupt traders, businesses, shoppers and citizens.”
Nazier Paulsen, of the Economic Freedom Fighters, said the marchers’ issues were those that the vast majority of the province’s people were grappling with.
“This is a symptom of how the government over the past 20 years has failed the marginalised masses. The looting is unfortunate and regrettable but we, as a glorious, radical people’s movement, support the plight of the poor and homeless.”
Informal settlement leaders who were responsible for organising last week’s service delivery protest said they would not stop protesting until Western Cape Premier Helen Zille committed herself to working with residents.
They have arranged for another march on November 29 and say 250 000 protesters will take part.
“We are saying enough is enough. If she doesn’t come out we will not move from that office. We are declaring a war, like she started declaring a war with the communities,” Xolani Dywili said at a press conference at the Blue Hall in Site C, Khayelitsha.
City of Cape Town spokeswoman Priya Reddy said: “The city has yet to receive an application for this alleged service delivery march. Should we do so, we will put in place the necessary measures.”
Labour lawyer Michael Bagraim said of the planned march: “It feeds into a strong feeling in the business community that they should not invest anything further in their business and not start new businesses in the city.” – Additional reporting by Zodidi Dano
warda.meyer@inl.co.za
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