Protest fires close Hout Bay roads in third day of unrest
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:
@PatriciaDeLille, @MmusiMaimane, @Our_DA ... the people of Hout Bay are desperate for someone to listen and actively help. Where are you? https://t.co/ez2BanSFQF
— Leonie Mollentze (@LeonieMollentze) July 3, 2017
My 1 year old daughter needs to get to a doctor and we're locked in by protestors in Hout Bay for a third day @CityofCT @PatriciaDeLille
— Iain S. Thomas (@IWroteThisForU) July 3, 2017
Bus services were suspended and roads closed during protests on Sunday.