Protesters pepper-sprayed at Civic Centre after Mayor Hill-Lewis refuses to meet with them
Khayelitsha residents protest outside the Cape Town Civic Centre where some were pepper-sprayed while attempting to deliver a memorandum of demands to Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis on Wednesday.
Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
Khayelitsha residents have given the City and the province seven days to respond to their memorandum after they 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.”
Khayelitsha residents marched to the Civic Centre and the Provincial Legislature to hand over a memorandum of grievances to the Mayor and Premier.
Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete
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. 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, 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."
Councillor Thando Mpengezi condemned the police for using pepper spray on marchers outside the Civic Centre in Cape Town.
Image: Mandilakhe Tshwete
When asked why the Premier could not attend, Mackenzie, the Premier was at a prior engagement and asked that he accept it on his behalf.
Mqina outlined the residents’ demands.
“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.
A protester points his firearm in front of police officers at the Civic Centre.
Image: Armand Hough/Independent Newspapers
“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.
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