Thu 11 Apr 2019:
Several protests have been reported across the South Africa on Thursday morning.
Protesters brought Tshwane to a standstill, with protest action reported across various areas in the capital city.
Areas affected included Hammanskraal, Soshanguve, Mabopane, Temba and Lotus Gardens to the N4 Magalies highway. The N1 North has also been closed between the Hammanskraal exit and Carousel plaza.
Will voters' perception of the #TshwaneShutdown / #TshwaneTotalShutdown be different to that of #AlexTotalShutdown #Alexshutdown? ?? pic.twitter.com/LFptI7iyGV
— Matlala Setlhalogile (@Matlala_S) April 11, 2019
@TrafficSA #TshwaneShutdown Soshanguve pic.twitter.com/1A65igvASo
— Eunita Kgatlane (@EunitaKgatlane) April 11, 2019
Disruption in Tshwane erupted in the early hours of Thursday morning, following anonymous threats and flyer-drops earlier in the week. The African National Congress (ANC), which openly supported the protests in Alexandra, have distanced themselves from the Tshwane Total Shutdown. ANC regional chairperson, Dr Kgosi Maepa, said:
“I’ve heard people are going to organise a shutdown. We are not against it because there is no service delivery in Hammanskraal.”
The exact cause of the discontent in Tshwane is, by all accounts, multifaceted. Inadequate service delivery forms the foundation for uprising with local taxi operators bolstering offensive. Taxi organisations, in the northern and western townships of Pretoria, have rebelled against the City’s management.
Orange Grove Protest update 1:
A crowd of +- 50 were protesting on cnr Louis Botha/9th St, they have since been disbursed & are now at cnr 6th/ 12th St. #JMPD on scene maintaining peace & order.@HermanMashaba@JoburgMPD @CoJPublicSafety @CityofJoburgZA @AsktheChiefJMPD pic.twitter.com/kqzaFTMDzE— Michael Sun (@MichaelSun168) April 11, 2019
Tshwane Total Shutdown
On Tuesday, Stinkwater Eersterust Taxi Association (SETA) and Ga-Rankuwa, Soshanguve, Hammanskraal Taxi Association (GSHTA) held a picket outside the Tshwane house, demanding that a memorandum on permits be accepted and approved by the powers that be. It’s alleged that this coincides with the Tshwane Total Shutdown experienced on Thursday.
According to reports from Pretoria residents, the suburbs of Mokopane and Shoshanguve remained inaccessible shortly after daybreak. Protesters have barricaded streets with burning debris, rubble and boulders, causing massive traffic delays in the area.
Tshwane traffic authorities have urged motorists travelling in the area to exercise extreme caution.
State of the City Address
The protests precede the State of the City Address which is due to take place in Pretoria from 9:00 onward. Traffic is due to be disrupted in the vicinity of Church Square and Paul Kruger Street. Road closures are expected to be in place until midday.
In Cape Town, meanwhile, the city’s traffic spokesperson Maxine Bezuidenhout said protesters have barricaded roads in and around Khayelitsha with burning tyres and rocks. She said the N2 highway between Somerset West and Cape Town has been closed.
It is alleged that “land grabbers” have taken to the streets.
“The whole area is affected. Most access routes to and from Khayelitsha are closed or obstructed. There is no access to and from the area,” said Bezuidenhout, adding that Baden Powell Drive was closed in both directions between Swartklip Road and Oscar Mpetha Road due to violent protest.
In Johannesburg, metro police spokesperson Wayne Minnaar said protesters took to the streets of Orange Grove, where about 50 people protested on the corner of Louis Botha Avenue and 9th Street.
This protest was dispersed, but protesters have since moved to the corner of 6th Avenue and 12th Street.
