Protest situation is under control says City
Residents should express their concerns in a peaceful manner says City mayor.
THE eThekwini Municipality is deeply concerned about the violent public protests taking place in the City. This comes after protesters shut down part of the N2 on Sunday and on Monday. Residents of ward 29, burnt tyres and in some cases stoned cars on Monday causing massive traffic backlogs.
According to eThekwini spokesman, Tozi Mthethwa, investigations revealed the protests were due to a recent demolition of informal dwellings in the area.
“We encourage those that have grievances to continue to engage with the municipality. The City will engage with ward councillor, Mveli Mthembu, in order to address the concerns raised by the protesters. The situation is under control. Safety measures, such as CCTV cameras, are in place to monitor the movements of vehicles and to ensure that further traffic disruption is minimised,” he said.
Mayor Cllr James Nxumalo said eradicating illegal structures requires a joint effort from all stakeholders.
Nxumalo added while he acknowledges that people are free to exercise their constitutional rights by voicing their concerns, they should not injure others or vandalise infrastructure.
“Residents should express their concerns in a peaceful and legally permissible manner without damaging property, injuring law-abiding citizens or blockading roads, thus preventing others from going to school and work,” he said.
