The march widely expected to disrupt Cape Town has been called off, but authorities are taking no chances.
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The planned march to Western Cape Premier Helen Zille’s office in central Cape Town on Friday was hit by a double-whammy on Thursday night: the Western Cape High Court granted the city an interdict banning the march, and the leaders called it off.
But authorities were taking no chances – before the court ruling and the cancellation, they announced that at least 500 law enforcement officers – on foot, in patrol cars, in helicopters and on horseback – would be deployed in anticipation of the protest.
Some businesses and informal traders were taking no chances, either.
The Taj hotel in St George’s Mall said it warned guests leaving for tours or heading for the airport to leave before 11am, while informal traders said they would stay away.
After a heated meeting with community members in the Blue Hall in Site C, Khayelitsha, the leaders said they would not proceed until they had a permit to march.
“There will be no march,” said former ANC councillor Andile Lili. “We are planning to go to court and make an appeal and challenge the city.”
Lili said the decision to stop the march was made by all parties.
“The decision was made collectively because marching without permits won't be good for us. The city is trying to portray us as criminals.”
Cancelling was not an act of cowardice but a way of challenging the city.
The organisers said they would go to court.
Community members at the meeting told the Cape Argus that they were disappointed.
Vuyolwethu Mqhada said: “We are not happy about this because we were prepared to go to Zille's office without the permits.”
Luzuko Xhuma was also unhappy. “I wish the march would have gone through because service delivery is a huge problem in Cape Town,” he said.
Lili and suspended councillor Loyiso Nkohla, who head the Cape Town Informal Settlement Leaders organisation, would not have taken part in any case – they were arrested for dumping faeces at Cape Town International Airport in June and taking part in an illegal gathering would be a breach of their bail conditions.
The march was to protest against a shortage of housing and poor services. Last month’s protest outside the provincial legislature turned sour when a group broke away, looting stalls in St George’s Mall and Greenmarket Square, smashing windows and causing mayhem.
This prompted the city to refuse to issue a permit for Friday’s march and, to underline the strength of their opposition, to apply for and obtain a court interdict banning the march.
But until Thursday night the organisers were defiantly claiming the march would go ahead, and warning shops and stall-holders to close if they wanted to protect their property.
In response a massive police operation had been planned. A total of 500 law enforcers are being deployed, with some reportedly being brought in from as far afield as Pretoria.
Police, intelligence services, justice and other law enforcement role-players thrashed out a joint operational plan focused on all modes of transport into the city to keep the public safe.
And the police’s air wing will monitor the situation from above.
Western Cape police commissioner, Lieutenant-General Arno Lamoer, said there would be heavy police deployments in the CBD as well as areas of congregation for the marchers.
Emergency medical staff were warned to be on high alert.
The Central City Improvement District also warned traders, tourists and businesses to exercise caution today.
Many informal traders said they would heed the call. Mahamad Ahmad Farah, a trader in St George’s Mall who lost more than R25 000 in merchandise and cash when looters attacked him, said he would “take a holiday” on Friday.
“I will lose a lot of money for the day taken off work, but it is not worth the risk,” he said.
A similar feeling existed among many traders at nearby Greenmarket Square, where the Traders’ Committee estimated that more than 50 percent of the stalls would not open. Yet, around 80 stall-owners have vowed to remain and to protect themselves if the need arises.
“Yes, we are prepared,” said Mor Fall, a Senegalese trader at the square for 15 years and one of the seven committee members. “We all stand together and the committee is capable of organising mutual protection. We did it quite successfully last time, and this time we are much more prepared.”
He bemoaned the incapacity of the police last month. “We hope that the police will be better prepared this time. Yet, we can look out for ourselves.” Pointing to one of the metal bars that hold up his stall’s gazebo, he added: “This is our police when the police fail.”
Michael Bagraim, of the Cape Chamber of Commerce, said: “The intimidation coming from the marchers verges on terrorism and should not be tolerated.”
Cape Argus