Protest fires close Hout Bay roads in third day of unrest

03 July 2017 - 07:34 By Petru Saal
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A bonfire and temporary structures from the Imizamo Yethu relocation camp block Hout Bay Road on Saturday.
A bonfire and temporary structures from the Imizamo Yethu relocation camp block Hout Bay Road on Saturday.
Image: Esa Alexander

Protests continued for a third day on Monday in Hout Bay‚ Cape Town‚ forcing traffic officials to close roads in the area.

City of Cape Town spokesperson Richard Bosman said protesters were burning debris‚ forcing the closure of Victoria Road and Main Road at the BP garage.

Protests flared up on Saturday as disgruntled Imizamo Yethu residents‚ who had been moved to a temporary location after a devastating fire three months ago‚ demanded the city speed up the process of moving them back to the area.

City officials said they wanted to ensure fire safety concerns were addressed before allowing residents back into Imizamo Yethu. The fire in March displaced thousands of residents who are frustrated by the delay in rebuilding the area.

Social media users took to Twitter to share their frustrations:

Bus services were suspended and roads closed during protests on Sunday.

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