'Minor incidents' reported for shutdown in Western Cape

20 March 2023 - 14:38 By TIMESLIVE
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EFF members march in Cape Town.
EFF members march in Cape Town.
Image: Philani Nombembe

Only minor incidents related to the shutdown have been reported in the Western Cape as of noon on Monday, says provincial police commissioner Lt-Gen Thembisile Patekile. 

He was speaking ahead of a planned march in the Cape Town CBD by EFF supporters to demand the resignation of President Cyril Ramaphosa and an end to load-shedding.

Patekile said a petrol bomb was thrown at a MyCiTi bus on Sunday night but there was only minor damage to the vehicle. 

Police confiscated tyres and arrested one person in Du Noon, where protesters had set up a fire. 

Patekile said police had confiscated 2,000 tyres since early morning and about 20l oil had been cleaned up on the N1. 

Golden Arrow Bus Services confirmed two of its buses were stoned in Nyanga but the service was running normally. 

We’ve had a few sporadic incidents of stone-throwing, as well as attempts to block roads with burning barricades and attempted arson, but thanks to the co-ordinated and swift response of enforcement agencies, we’ve managed to contain the situation,” said safety and security MMC JP Smith.

“Our staff remain on high alert and are continuing their proactive patrols and checkpoints to ensure law and order prevails.”

EFF provincial chair Unathi Ntame said at an earlier media briefing: “Our people are being arrested for frivolous issues. Why would the state arrest a person for pamphleteering, for issuing out pamphlets … They arrest our people and then release them after three hours.

“There has not been any violence from our side,” he added. 

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