The Freedom Front Plus (VF Plus) demands answers after protest actions severely disrupted traffic this morning on main transport routes, including the N2 near Borcherds Quarry and the R300 in Cape Town.
The protests caused serious traffic congestion affecting thousands of motorists who were on their way to work and other destinations during peak traffic this morning.
It has also been reported that robbers exploited the situation near the Borcherds Quarry off-ramp by targeting motorists who were stuck in traffic due to the disruption caused by the protests.
This morning’s protest actions raise serious questions about whether the authorities had sufficient intelligence or prior warning of the planned protests.
What is particularly alarming is that a relatively small group of people, captured on a photo taken before 04:00 this morning, were able to disrupt two crucial transport routes during peak traffic.
Clarity should be provided on whether there was any prior intelligence and if so, why the necessary preventive measures were not implemented.
The N2 is one of Cape Town’s most important main transport routes carrying large volumes of traffic every day. Blocking this route has a ripple effect on the surrounding roads in the city and affects commuters, businesses and emergency services.
The people most affected by this disruption are ordinary residents who are trying to get to work on time, drop their children off at school or travel to the airport.
Although section 17 of the Constitution protects the right to assemble and protest, peacefully and unarmed, the court has ruled that this right does not extend to infringing on the rights of others, intimidating the public or blocking public roads.
The Freedom Front Plus, therefore, calls on the relevant authorities to provide clarity on what transpired this morning, what information was available beforehand and why appropriate measures to prevent the disruption of this important transport route were not put in place.
The city and its people should never again be held hostage like this by criminality.
