Home » Mayhem in Hangberg After Deputy Minister of Police Cancels Imbizo

Mayhem in Hangberg After Deputy Minister of Police Cancels Imbizo

Violence continued in Hangberg on Thursday, as dozens of residents protested over the allocation of fishing quotas. [Government called for calm yesterday saying that the fishing allocation had not yet been finalised.] The Deputy Minister of Police Bongani Mkongi had agreed to an imbizo with the community, but the meeting was cancelled. No public reason […]

14-09-17 22:00

Violence continued in Hangberg on Thursday, as dozens of residents protested over the allocation of fishing quotas. [Government called for calm yesterday saying that the fishing allocation had not yet been finalised.]

Photo of burning construction vehicle
A construction vehicle burns in Hout Bay on Thursday. Photo: Nomfundo Xolo

The Deputy Minister of Police Bongani Mkongi had agreed to an imbizo with the community, but the meeting was cancelled.

No public reason has been given for the cancellation, and this article was written after work hours so GroundUp has not yet been able to ask for comment from the minister.

After hearing of the cancellation, protesters set a construction vehicle alight. Some protesters said that they would continue burning things until they were addressed by a minister.

As the situation escalated, protesters taunted police with stones, while the police responded with teargas.

Residents covering their eyes after teargas

Tyres were set alight and petrol bombs were lobbed at the police. Crowds of residents from Hangberg stood outside their homes, watching the chaos unfold.

A man stands with a petrol bomb, while a dog watches petrol proceedings. Photo: Nomfundo Xolo

After about two hours the construction vehicle had been almost completely stripped for scrap metal.

One woman said that the protest was about more than fishing rights, and that there was also an issue with land in the area and that they wanted proper houses to be built.

Another man said that a portion of land in the area had been bought by a private individual and that the community wanted that land to be used for housing. He was possibly referring to a new housing development opposite Hangberg.

Residents GroundUp spoke to stressed that their protests did not start off violently. They mentioned attempts to get a response from the Deputy Minister of Police and being avoided. They said that they had to resort to violence to invoke a response.

Residents threw petrol bombs, while police used teargas. Video: Ashleigh Furlong


Published originally on GroundUp. © 2017 GroundUp.

Most of the photos above are kindly shared with SAPeople by Justin Sullivan Photography – please click below for more:

https://www.facebook.com/SullivanPhotographyZA/posts/836396179868906?pnref=story

MORE

Footage shows what really happened when policeman shot 14-year-old in the mouth with rubber bullets

Government calls for calm in Hangberg, Hout Bay fishing protests