Hermanus riots

R13... said:
Such a relatively small mob holding the entire place hostage?
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It looks a couple of thousand people involved, and they seem to have employed a tactic of sending different groups to different areas. I would imagine it's containing them in the same area that is the problem.
 
Yep

Hermanus CPF update 18/07/18 at 12h30 : the R43 remains closed between Gateway and CTM. The rioters have not taken possession of the road, the closure is precautionary. There is no access through at the moment, if you are coming / going to or from Hermanus at the moment please go via Caledon and take the Stanford road (R326) off the R316. The crowd has fragmented into numerous splinter groups, still with the intention of storming the R43, please avoid the area. Please remain calm, authorities have bolstered their force with additional teams and are dealing with the situation. Please follow their direction if applicable.
 
Hermanus CPF update 18/07/18 at 13h15 : The R43 has been reopened in both directions. Authorities have pushed the rioters back into Zwelihle. Full force of SAPS, POP, Law Enforcement and Traffic officials are on the scene.
 
Netwerk24 reports that damage to municipal infrastructure is R40 million so far...
 
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Hermanus CPF update 18/07/18 at 14h45 : the situation in Zwelihle is critical, however it is contained to within the boundaries of Zwelihle and the surrounding area is calm. The authorities are working hard to keep rioters back. The R43 is open, access roads to Zwelihle closed. There is a strong presence of SAPS, POP, Law Enforcement and Traffic officials on the ground. The Mall and Gateway are open, with some shops having closed at their own discretion.
 
https://www.timeslive.co.za/news/so...s-reaches-boiling-point-as-protests-continue/

Police were being bolstered by units from across the Western Cape as violence escalated on Wednesday in the coastal town of Hermanus.

Overstrand cluster commander Brigadier Donovan Heilbron said that despite having reached a “peace agreement”‚ about 3‚000 people had attempted to storm through a police barricade on Wednesday to reach the town centre.

Residents have clashed violently with police who have arrested several alleged protest instigators‚ which in turn has become the focus of the protests that initially revolved around the question of land.

At one point during the clashes‚ protesters assaulted a policeman in riot gear and stole his shotgun before he managed to chase them off‚ firing live rounds with his sidearm.

Police Minister Bheki Cele plans to visit Hermanus on Friday to meet protesters - one of the conditions put forward by protest leaders in order for there to be a peace agreement.

An application for a permit‚ permitting a gathering of 20‚000 people to protest outside the Hermanus Magistrate’s Court has reportedly been rejected.

“The plan is still Minister Cele is coming on Friday. We met on Monday with some of the representatives from Zwelihle. We said to them this is the possible plan‚ we want to make them part of the planning process so that we can allow them the space to engage with the minister. They confirmed to us they will cool down because they also requested in their memorandum that they speak with the minister‚” said Heilbron.

WATCH | Live gunfire in Hermanus as police officer is robbed of shotgun in violent protests
Protest action in Hermanus entered it’s third day which saw Western Cape premier Helen Zille arrive to speak with protesters.
NEWS 5 days ago
“However‚ this morning‚ between 3‚000 and 5‚000 people assembled in Zwelihle at the taxi rank and tried to force their way into town‚ so there was a huge confrontation between SAPS and the protesters‚” said Heilbron.

He said that the situation was volatile and that there were still skirmishes between public order police and protesters.

He said that they had sufficient personnel and were being bolstered by units from Cape Town.

Residents from the surrounding neighbourhoods claimed that people in Zwelihle were being stopped from going to work by protesters and that intimidation and destruction of property was being used as a weapon against people who wanted to work.

Sandy Herman‚ a resident of the gated community of Lakewood Village‚ was awoken at 3am on Wednesday by a phone call by an employee whose home had been torched.

“When you drive east from Hermanus past the Marina Hotel‚ you’re driving into a total white bubble‚ we are residents of that white bubble. We really don’t know what’s going on half the time‚” he said.

“We were traumatised last night when we got a phone call at 3am …He [the employee] said he couldn’t account for his whereabouts in the afternoon when these guys confronted him‚ so they burnt his house‚ burnt his clothes‚ burnt his furniture‚” he said.

Hope for end to land battle in Hermanus
Protests in Hermanus over housing and land for residents in Zwelihle have been ongoing all week and continued on Friday.
NEWS 2 months ago
Herman said that he went to give clothes and blankets and food to his employee at a police barricade and told him to go with him to make a statement at the police station‚ but he refused saying that his life would be in danger.

“I’m a businessman from Johannesburg and I’m quietly retired here in Hermanus and it’s a white bubble here where I’m living. It is almost beyond understanding‚ and a mile away there are people that are suffering and the police can’t do anything‚” he said.

“Here is an innocent guy with nothing‚ and for no reason other than they couldn’t account for his whereabouts for a couple of hours during the day‚ they burn everything that he owns‚” he said.

“I can’t lie in my warm bed in that closed community where we live in and sleep at night anymore. My conscience says to me you cannot do this while these wrongs are going on around you‚” said Herman.
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Strange how the CPF calls these people rioters when the state and media call them gathering protestors and demonstrators. As the Americans have it, once a protester breaks (or disobeys) the law they become a rioter. I guess it is a labelling thing…

I mean our Gathering Act clearly illustrates ‘riot damage’. A demonstration is 1-15 persons, a gathering is more than 15 persons. Our law doesn’t cover rioters, only conveners (a-hem, generals in this case) and persons, and the abovementioned riot damage. I don’t see the Gathering Act being applied here in strength, neither any other Act accompanying the Gathering Act under these circumstances.

As I have it, thanks to the university protests and the result, protesters (actually, the conveners) may not be criminalised anymore as parts were declared unconstitutional. I don’t know how the unconstitutional parts will be ignored here, but the conveners may only be imposed by civil liability. Section 17 was very loosely applied here, I mean these university conveners not only instigated criminal acts but some also participated therein and parts within the Act was declared unconstitutional. Then they say it is the criminal elements (or 3rd Force)… I don’t always understand the interpretation our country makes when dealing with riotous masses.
 
Fulcrum29 said:
Strange how the CPF calls these people rioters when the state and media call them gathering protestors and demonstrators. As the Americans have it, once a protester breaks (or disobeys) the law they become a rioter. I guess it is a labelling thing…

I mean our Gathering Act clearly illustrates ‘riot damage’. A demonstration is 1-15 persons, a gathering is more than 15 persons. Our law doesn’t cover rioters, only conveners (a-hem, generals in this case) and persons, and the abovementioned riot damage. I don’t see the Gathering Act being applied here in strength, neither any other Act accompanying the Gathering Act under these circumstances.

As I have it, thanks to the university protests and the result, protesters (actually, the conveners) may not be criminalised anymore as parts were declared unconstitutional. I don’t know how the unconstitutional parts will be ignored here, but the conveners may only be imposed by civil liability. Section 17 was very loosely applied here, I mean these university conveners not only instigated criminal acts but some also participated therein and parts within the Act was declared unconstitutional. Then they say it is the criminal elements (or 3rd Force)… I don’t always understand the interpretation our country makes when dealing with riotous masses.
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Maybe the distinction is in what they are gathering to do. This lot want jailed leaders released and they have declared they will protest until this happens. So the intention of the gatherings is not just to protest against the imprisonments, but to cause disruption, hence the rioting.
 
Hermanus CPF update 18/07/18 at 18h00 : the crowd has moved to the Stadium, where they are holding a community meeting. Fires have been lit in the streets at several locations within Zwelihle. The Overstand Municipality has cleared Schulphoek Road of rubble, and the clean up has moved to Mbeki Street, this will facilitate the support vehicle access. The R43 is open, access roads into Zwelihle are closed.
 
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