The “Gatvol” movement has released a statement confirming plans for a shutdown across the Cape Peninsula on Monday July 27.
The group explained in their statement that they are protesting over the plight of the “backyarders” in the Cape Flats.
“The memorandum we handed over has been blatantly ignored. The Backyarder Summit has only resulted in meetings upon meetings with the Human Rights Commission and City of Cape Town officials which also never amounted to anything,” they said.
As a result, the group is planning a total shutdown of major roads across the city.
The City has acknowledged the plan to protest and has impressed that the citizens have a right to carry these out as long as they are non-violent and respectful of the rights of others. This includes not blocking access to public spaces or public roads.
“The City has been compelled, along with the South African Police Services, to act against violent protesters over the last two weeks and almost 30 arrests have been effected. The constant need to reprioritise policing resources to attend to protests and land invasions come at a cost to vulnerable and poor communities who are hard hit by crime,” said Alderman JP Smith, mayco member for safety and security.
“We call on members of the public not to engage in violent protests or obstruct access to public roads and not to engage in the vandalism or destruction of infrastructure as this invariably affects the poorest and most vulnerable communities and destroys infrastructure for which they benefit or on which they depend.”
The protest is organised for Monday morning. Here are the details:
When:
They plan to shut down major roads across the city between 5am and 11am.
Where:
Exact details have not been confirmed but major roads including the N1, N2, N7 and R300 have been mentioned as being affected
Size:
The group expect at least 15 communities to be joining in the protest. They have said it will be a peaceful protest and urged participants and law enforcement to respect its peaceful nature.
Reporting violent protests:
The City has asked the public to report any public violence or unlawful acts to the City’s Emergency Communications Center on 0214807700.
Picture: @gatvol/Facebook