Cape Town Authorities Monitor Planned June 30 Protest

The City of Cape Town says no major incidents have been confirmed as linked to the June 30 nationwide anti-illegal immigration protests and shutdown, as authorities monitor marches across the city including one on Wale Street in the CBD outside the Western Cape Provincial Parliament.

The City's Disaster Coordinating Committee said it had no record of any major incidents confirmed to be linked to the shutdown as of the time of reporting. Two civil groups merged along Wale Street near the Western Cape Provincial Parliament and are protesting together; no incidents have been linked to that gathering. The Kraaifontein march proceeded to the local police station where protesters handed over a memorandum alleging criminality by foreign nationals, and police were forced to deploy stun grenades to calm riotous behaviour at that location. Two further marches are taking place in Kraaifontein along Botfontein Road and in Wallacedene, with services on scene at both locations. Mayco member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith said the City's Disaster Operations Centre had been activated while the Joint Operations Committee continued meeting with all City services and partner agencies. Smith said the City's Disaster Coordinating Team had received no reports of incidents linked to the shutdown by 7:30am. Providing a further update at 8:30am, he confirmed that all roads were open and free flowing and that no incidents relating to xenophobic violence had been recorded. Smith stated that the City is aware of reports that some businesses employing foreign nationals have allegedly been threatened, and urged business owners and anyone subjected to intimidation to report these incidents to the South African Police Service for investigation. Smith also addressed a video that had circulated overnight falsely claiming violence had broken out in Khayelitsha. The City established that the footage was of a cash-in-transit robbery in Gugulethu and was unrelated to the June 30 action. He also noted that the only isolated incident linked to tensions before the day of the shutdown occurred on Monday in Kalksteenfontein, and said it had been quickly dealt with by authorities. Later in the day, at a media briefing held at the City's Disaster Risk Management Centre in Goodwood, where a Joint Operations Centre was monitoring developments, Smith reported several sporadic incidents during the course of the day. He said an incident in Wesbank involved a group of juveniles who attempted to loot a shop but were quickly stopped by SAPS and Metro Police. Smith noted that where incidents were occurring, they involved juveniles who were on school holidays. He added that a protest in Atlantis against the MyCiTi fare increase was being mistaken by some for a protest linked to the anti-illegal immigration action. Officials were monitoring communities across Cape Town using drones, a helicopter, and footage from officers' vehicles and body cameras. Fight Against Crime South Africa (FACSA) also reported a peaceful start to the day across the Western Cape at around 7:30am, confirming no protest activity, incidents or disruptions in dozens of monitored areas including Dunoon, Table View, Khayelitsha, Mitchells Plain, the Cape Town CBD, Athlone Industrial, Philippi East, Bishop Lavis and the N2 Airport corridor, among others. FACSA said visible policing and monitoring operations were continuing across several areas, but cautioned that conditions remained fluid and could change rapidly throughout the day. The organisation urged residents to remain vigilant, remain calm and report any criminal activity to authorities. Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis said Metro Police and Law Enforcement officers had been deployed across Cape Town to ensure public safety and respond to any potential disruptions. He said the City would not tolerate any disturbances. Earlier in the morning, Hill-Lewis travelled on a MyCiTi bus from Parklands, describing the service as relatively full and operating normally despite being slightly quieter than usual. He encouraged residents to continue with their daily routines. 'The message to Capetonians is let's try to make this as normal a day as possible,' he said. 'We will do everything possible to make sure that we keep Cape Town working and that there is no disturbance to law and order.' The City also cautioned that false reports were circulating online using old video footage of past incidents, and urged the public to verify information before sharing it. Residents can report any emergencies or concerns to the City's Public Emergency Communications Centre on 021 480 7700.

Providing an overnight update, Smith said enforcement agencies responded to a number of opportunistic criminal incidents targeting foreign-owned businesses in Delft, Gugulethu, Hanover Park and Mfuleni. He described these as isolated incidents and confirmed that at least 13 arrests were made for public violence and malicious damage to property. Smith extended a special word of thanks to SAPS, EMS, the SPCA, GABS, Neighbourhood Watch partners and residents for their role in the Disaster Coordinating Team effort throughout the shutdown.

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