Residents of Rouxville, Kuils River have petitioned the City of Cape Town following public disorder during and after the recent Kuils River Festival held at the Gen-to-Gen Church last weekend.

In it, affected residents raised concerns about public safety, public disorder, traffic, litter, noise, public drinking and the movement of large numbers of people through residential streets. A formal complaint and request for investigation were submitted to the City’s Events Permit Office and a public-safety complaint was registered with the City’s Public Emergency Communication Centre on Saturday evening (29 August).

The petitioners stated the action was not directed against the church’s religious activities or the right of its congregation to worship, but took issue with the nature, scale, management and community impact of the festival.

Community divided

The petition, posted on social media by a resident, drew a mixed response. Those defending the church argue it cannot be held responsible for what people do outside its premises. They point to security measures put in place by the organisers, including extra security hired this year.

Some said that within the church grounds everything was in order and controlled. Another said teenagers who arrived drunk were not allowed in and the church closed the event early as a result.

One questioned why residents had not approached church leadership directly before going to social media. It was also noted the festival gave back to the community.

Those supporting the petition described fights, traffic obstruction, even gunfire. They said Saturday night was the worst.

One resident said last year men were fighting and bumped into her and she feared for her family’s safety. Her family now locks their doors when the festival is on.

Others said if the church cannot control the festival, it should be stopped, alleging that children and adults were drunk, that fights broke out and people carried weapons.

Family’s account

A family living close to the church, who reported having tolerated the church’s events for many years without objection, described the impact on their household. They said hundreds of people spilled into the surrounding area and onto neighbouring properties, entering private properties without permission, blocking their driveway, triggering their security alarm, damaging their fence and leaving significant litter.

They reported witnessing fighting, including what appeared to be gang-related altercations and observing an individual who appeared to be carrying a firearm.

The family mentioned that the church eventually closed the event after it had become apparent that the situation was out of control, but hundreds of people remained in the area afterwards.

City of Cape Town response

On enquiry, the City of Cape Town confirmed the Gen-to-Gen Church had been issued with a permit to host the Kuils River Festival from 27 to 29 August. The church had complied with the events bylaw and other statutory requirements for a permit.

The City said the Events Permit Office had received and noted the complaints submitted by residents in the vicinity of the venue. A permit officer was expected to meet with the event organisers to discuss the matter and possible remedial action to avoid a repeat in future.

Church response

Gen-to-Gen Church posted a statement on its Facebook page (on Wednesday 2 September), signed by senior pastor Derrick Grobbelaar, acknowledging the concerns raised by residents.

“We are aware of the concerns raised by residents within the immediate vicinity of our church regarding the unfortunate incidents/events that took place during and after our festival ended. We take these concerns seriously and are particularly concerned by reports that some residents felt threatened or unsafe.”

The church said it did not condone unlawful, threatening or unruly behaviour of any nature and concerns would be carefully considered as part of the planning of future events. “Where appropriate we will engage constructively with the relevant authorities and the community regarding reasonable and practical measures for future events,” Grobbelaar stated.

An enquiry has been sent to local police regarding a response to incidents on Saturday evening, including whether any arrests had been made, charges laid or weapons recovered. A response was still forthcoming.

It remained to be seen what specific remedial measures the City and church would put in place and whether the festival, which has run annually since 2022, will continue at the same location and on the same scale next year.

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