DA believes WCape land invasions, protests 'part of a larger strategy' by ANC
5 July 2018
The Democratic Alliance believes that protests and almost 300 land invasions across the Western Cape this year are part of a "larger strategy" by the ruling party to make the province ungovernable.
The ANC, however, says there is no way they can manufacture residents' legitimate struggles.
DA chief whip in the provincial legislature Mark Wiley revealed on Wednesday that there had been at least 176 land invasions in the City of Cape Town and 87 land invasions across the rest of the province since January.
The party acknowledged that residents had genuine concerns around housing and service delivery.
Wiley also said people were "streaming in" from other provinces where service delivery had collapsed.
"Despite genuine concerns and needs, we have it on good authority that the majority of these protests are being orchestrated by individuals and groups with the clear aim of destabilising our province," he said.
"The hand of the ANC has without a doubt been apparent in a lot of these protests. We are firm of the belief that it is part of a larger strategy."
In March, DA Human Settlements MEC Bonginkosi Madikizela had accused the ANC of exploiting recent protests over land and living conditions in Hermanus.
ANC provincial secretary Faiez Jacobs said on Wednesday that the provincial government should stop blaming others and instead lead by being available to listen to people's problems.
"It is not true that these are manufactured protests. There is real 'gatvolness' and anger about their failures," he said, referring to protests over land, housing, rates increases and general service delivery.
"They must stop playing politics and start providing. They must come to the table. They must listen to the communities."
