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ANC MAN'S HOUSE BURNT IN PROTEST!

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Imizamo Yethu. Photo: News24
Imizamo Yethu. Photo: News24

PROTESTERS in Imizamo Yethu, Hout Bay, burned down an ANC councillor's house earlier this afternoon during ongoing protest action in the area.  

Western Cape police said protesters also threw petrol bombs and stones at officers in the morning when authorities tried to clear 52 illegally built structures.

Councillor Kenny Tokwe said he was at the local ANC branch when he was informed that his and another community leader's houses had been set alight.

Tokwe was unaware of the extent of damage to his property and blamed "a small group of people against development" for ongoing violence in the area.

"I am now most concerned about my children, who are traumatised. I need to keep my family safe," he said.

A court order was granted to the City of Cape Town in June for structures to be cleared, in order to make way for the construction of basic services in the area, following a fire in March which destroyed an estimated 4 500 structures.

Western Cape police spokesperson FC van Wyk said rubber bullets were fired during an altercation with community members.

He said a case of public violence had been opened. No injuries have been reported.

Following the devastating fire in March, several protests occurred in the area over the slow pace of reconstruction by the City of Cape Town.

In July, violent protests were sparked by dismal living conditions in the temporary three-by-three-metre corrugated iron structures that residents were moved into following the blaze.

"When it’s raining, the rain is coming in these three-by-three shacks. Me, I’m staying (with) five (others) in that three-by-three," community leader Nosicelo Mtakatana said at the time.

"That thing (the shacks) is not nice because sometimes we don’t have electricity, we are using paraffin. That paraffin is affecting our kids.

"The problem why we are doing this, our kids are sick there because it’s cold. It’s not nice, we are sick and tired of waiting."

On Thursday, Mayor Patricia de Lille's spokesperson, Zara Nicholson, said the evictions were necessary to allow super-blocking to be completed in the area.

Super-blocking is a process where roads are established in informal settlements to ensure basic services and emergency vehicles can easily access the area.

"The city condemns any ensuing violence, as it will go against the spirit of this negotiated process," she said.

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