‘You must defend your shacks’

Smoke billowed from the Grabouw traffic department’s offices in Western Cape after they were set alight during a servicedelivery protest over housing yesterday.

About 100 residents from the apple-producing town‚ 70km from Cape Town‚ were demanding that they be allocated land and provided with municipal services.

Spokesman for the Theewaterskloof municipality Stiffie Cronje confirmed that the traffic department building had been damaged.

Computers and other removable goods had also been vandalised.

“Traffic services are not functioning,” said Cronje. “We cannot do registrations‚ testing or issue drivers’ licences.”

• WATCH: Grabouw traffic department goes up in flames Smoke billowed from the local traffic department offices as violent service delivery protests over housing erupted on Tuesday in the town of Grabouw.

The City of Cape Town warned motorists that the N2 highway had been closed between Sir Lowry’s Pass and Houwhoek Pass. Protesters used tree trunks and rocks to block the road.

Addressing the protesters, Ses’khona People’s Rights Movement leader Andile Lili said: “Never allow any metro police or SAPS members to remove your shelters there.

“For you to build those shacks there‚ it cost a lot of money... Therefore, you must defend them‚” he said to loud cheers.

Some of the protesters had occupied vacant land, the ownership of which is unclear, near the traffic department offices and erected shacks and temporary structures.

Some of the structures were demolished by authorities, leading to clashes.