Overstrand residents expected to stage simultaneous marches to municipal offices in four towns – Gansbaai, Stanford, Hermanus and Kleinmond – from 12 to 16 February, to demand services that are lacking and express their grievances in relation to certain issues. Authorities are expected to implement security measures intended to minimise any disruptions caused by the coordinated protests.
“Marchers are expected to begin gathering around 08:00 before proceeding to their respective municipal offices to deliver memorandums outlining their concerns,” Municipal Manager Dean O’Neill stated in a press release. “The completion time for the marches remains unconfirmed.”
Security-cluster agencies were working closely together to manage the protests, which coincide with planned government services in the region. Authorities have emphasised the constitutional framework governing protest action, noting rights must be balanced among different groups.”People who want to go to work are protected by the Constitution and cannot be unlawfully forced or intimidated into not working,” the police stated, urging anyone experiencing work-related intimidation to open dockets or lay charges.
The police stressed that protests remained constitutionally protected only while peaceful and unarmed. O’Neill said: “Blocking roads, intimidating workers, preventing people from accessing employment or damaging property interferes with others’ constitutional rights, necessitating law-enforcement intervention.”
The protest action has already impacted some government services. The South African Social Security Agency (Sassa) cancelled its scheduled visit to Kleinmond for Wednesday the 12th. However, the Department of Employment and Labour confirmed its Jobs Fair Built-up sessions would proceed as planned from the 12th to the 18th across various towns in the region. The residents’ concerns, to be outlined in memorandums, had not been disclosed by authorities.
However, according to the Land Party’s Facebook page the peaceful demonstrations aimed to address the following grievances:
* Full implementation of the signed memorandum of understanding, which includes scrapping all high municipal bills, abolishing water blocks, ending outages, and providing electricity, water, and sanitation to all informal settlements.
* Establishment of a high school in Kleinmond.
* Allocation of land for small-scale farmers.
* Each household to pay R50 to the municipality for municipal services.
* Businesses to hire 90% locals and 10% foreign nationals.
* Taxis to replace buses for school transport to promote economic empowerment.
* Stop abusing the taxi business with unnecessary fines.
Municipal officials had not yet responded to requests for comment regarding the specific issues driving the protest action or potential responses to the memorandums. The coordinated nature of the protests across four towns suggested organised community action addressing municipality-wide concerns affecting the broader Overstrand region. Security agencies continued monitoring the situation as the week-long protest period began.
