Protest breaks out Bramley View
BRAMLEY VIEW – A protest broke out in Bramley View following the erection of shacks for displaced people.
The residents of Bramley View expressed their continued frustration at the erection of additional shacks on a piece of land along Canning Road on 24 July.
The shacks were erected at the end of last year to house displaced people who were removed by the City of Johannesburg from a piece of land in Wynberg. Ward 81 councillor Irene Rugheimer said that shacks have been on the land for many years, but the addition of the newer shacks brought the numbers from 69 to 114.
A protesting resident, who wished to remain anonymous, said that the shacks have become a nuisance. He said, “The shacks have devalued our properties, we have voiced our opinion and do not want these shacks there. They are ruining our investments.”
The protests on 24 July saw Metro police trying to calm the crowd, who started burning tyres in the middle of the road. The Metro police were armed and shot rubber bullets at protesting residents.
Chief superintendent of Metro police, Wayne Minnaar said, “There were 21 protesters arrested and charged with public violence. Canning Road has been affected, and it is a main road between Bramley and Lombardy East. We would like to advise motorists to avoid that road for the next few days.”
Rugheimer added that she fully empathises with the property depreciation fears of Bramley View residents, but said a ward councillor, unfortunately, cannot make the decision to remove or demolish shacks.
“Negotiations with the City of Johannesburg have started. And we will try and prioritise this issue as there are as many as 6 000 displaced people in Ward 81 already.”
She warned that the issue is not one that will be resolved overnight. “I will fight on the residents’ behalf as much as I can,” she concluded.
Details: Irene Rugheimer 072 409 6594.
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