Khayelitsha protesters clash with police after Cape Town Mayor refuses to meet them
Khayelitsha residents clashed with police as they attempted to hand over a memorandum to Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on Wednesday.
Hundreds of marchers, led by councillors Lonwabo Mqina, Khayalethu Kama, Thando Mpengezi and Ndithini Thyido, arrived at the Civic Centre singing struggle songs.
Moments later, tension flared when a few protesters were pepper-sprayed as they tried to walk up the stairs to demand that the mayor receive their memorandum in person.
Noliza Nkampula said: “The police sprayed pepper spray at us as we were singing while walking up the stairs after hearing the mayor didn’t want to come out to us. And we were not trying to access the building.”
Thyido criticised the Mayor’s absence, saying: “The Mayor of Cape Town is a racist. He’s staying true to his racist genes, as he doesn’t see the need to attend to black people. The system of governance in Cape Town is the executive mayoral system. The people were demanding that they be met by the Mayor so they could hand over their very legitimate list of demands to him in his executive capacity. He instead sent junior officials, who would not have an idea of what was addressed.
“We are going to revisit him. We are going to make Geordin’s life miserable.”
The demonstrators later left the Civic Centre and marched to the Western Cape Provincial Legislature, where Cultural Affairs and Sport MEC Ricardo Mackenzie accepted the memorandum on behalf of premier Alan Winde.
Mackenzie said: “Thank you to the councillors for raising these matters. These are councillors, elected councillors within the City of Cape Town, and they are bringing these matters to the Western Cape Government. They sit in the council every single day, but there are many issues they have raised. The premier has asked me to come and accept their demands, and I know he will share them with the mayor of Cape Town as well.
“I travel around the province quite a bit, and I know our colleagues work very hard to improve services in the Western Cape.”
When asked why the Premier could not attend, Mackenzie said: “When the request came through three days ago, the Premier was already at another engagement. So he asked me to come and accept it on his behalf.”
He added that his department is part of the provincial Safety Plan.
“In fact, we will be meeting on Friday again to discuss how we can play a bigger role in dealing with young children and youth, preventing them from joining gangs or other social ills in our communities.
“I’m sure all of us have watched with bated breath what’s happened in parliament over the last few days. It’s something I’ve personally been speaking about for 11 years. Our crime intelligence has collapsed, and we’ve now heard it directly from General Mkhwanazi. So it’s not only a policing matter, it’s far bigger than what we all know now.”
Thyido later welcomed Mackenzie’s gesture, saying: “We are pleased with the attempt by the Premier of the Western Cape, who sent an MEC to receive the document on his behalf. That gives a sign of respect, not just to the matters, but to the people’s demands.”
Mqina outlined the residents’ demands, including the completion of the Kuyasa Retrofit Project.
“We demand the extension of the Kuyasa Clinic and the completion of the Kuyasa Retrofit Project. Phase 1 of this project was suspended because funds were reprioritised for Covid-19. We demand an immediate resumption of this project.
“We want the electrification of all informal settlements in Ward 99 and the rest of Khayelitsha. We want water and sanitation upgrades, including sewer pipelines, access, and tar roads in Monwabisi Park, Zamimpilo, and New Dawn.
“We also want high-mast lights to be installed and maintained, as 99% of these lights are not working. This is not the only problem faced by Ward 99; other communities like Wards 91 and 87 face similar challenges.
“We want the installation of toilets and taps in all informal settlements of Ward 99, as the City of Cape Town doesn’t meet the ratio of one to five.”
Mqina added that residents also want new primary and high schools in Monwabisi Park.
The residents have given the City and the province seven days to respond to their memorandum and have requested a joint meeting with the Premier and the Mayor.
mandilakhe.tshwete@inl.co.za