Riebeek Kasteel

Riebeek Kasteel: What has caused the protests?

A look at how things started.

Riebeek Kasteel

The situation in and around the town of Riebeek Kasteel has been dreadful over the last few days. Just like the majority of the other Cape Town protests in recent months, angry residents have grouped up and clashed with police over issues around land and housing.

Riebeek Kasteel: Why are residents so upset?

Since protests in the area began on Sunday evening, police have confirmed that 21 people have been arrested. The arrests spread with the protests as anger also boiled over in Riebeek West. Since Sunday, around 600 people have been involved in the protests.

Stores have been looted and additional police were deployed to the area in an attempt to calm the situation.

“A gate of a local clinic was damaged‚ a vehicle was overturned and a liquor store was vandalised and liquor was stolen. A total of 16 people were arrested for public violence and three men were arrested for business robbery‚” said Western Cape police spokesperson Sergeant Noloyiso Rwexana.

Riebeek Kasteel: The people want housing

In Riebeek West, the issue seemingly comes down to who qualifies for a new 244-unit housing project. The first house has been built and services are currently being installed, the problem? The houses are only for people on the waiting list.

While 70 people received letters last week informing them that they would get houses, others have been left in the lurch or rejected completely. The disabled, elderly and military veterans are also factored in.

Another issue that has sparked anger is the fact that the cut-off age is currently 35-years-old. The municipality manager has said that he can not allow queue jumping.

While Riebeek Kasteel is about 6km away from West, residents bear the brunt of the anger as there is no housing planned at all for the next five years.

With numerous people paying high rentals to stay in small backyard dwellings, people have become desperate for a real solution.

Authorities also believe that the migration to “farm worker towns” is contributing massively to the housing shortages.

Like many other protest areas in recent months, the town is divided by poverty. The one side, is home to artists and popular restaurants, while the other is overcrowded and complete with terrible conditions.

President’s Keepers author Jacques Pauw also has a restaurant and lives in the town.

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