2019 service delivery protests

Last updated

2019 service delivery protests
Date3 April 2019 – May 2019
Location
Urban areas of South Africa
Caused byLack of delivery of municipal services
Methods
Resulted in
  • 2 deaths [1]
  • 45 total arrests
    • 37 arrests in the Western Cape [2]
    • 8 arrested in Soweto [3]
  • property damage

The 2019 service delivery protests refers to a series of protests and civil disturbances taking place across urban areas of South Africa related to poor service delivery that started in Alexandra on 3 April 2019. [4] [5]

After starting in Alexandra on 3 April the protestors marched to the wealthy nearby neighbourhood of Sandton five days later to gain more attention. [6] On 9 April the trade union SAFTU stated their support for the protests and called on other areas in Gauteng province to join. [7] By 11 April 2019 the protests had spread to other major cities in the rest of the country. [8] Other than Alexandra protests occurred in Hammanskraal, Roodepoort, Vereeniging, Kroonstad, Blackheath, [9] Tshwane, [10] Bekkersdal, Orange Grove, [11] Nomzamo [12] Lingelethu East, [13] Bergville, [14] Bekkersdal, [15] Caledon, [16] Eersteriver, Rus-ter-Vaal, [2] Khayelitsha, [17] Riverlea, [18] and Soweto. [19]

The major political parties traded accusations over the cause of the riots. [6] The African National Congress (ANC) accused the Democratic Alliance (DA) of not effectively delivering services to the protesting communities [20] and the DA made a counter accusation that it was ANC governance in Johannesburg two years before was the root cause of poor service delivery in Alexandra. [21] The protests were openly supported by the trade union SAFTU who called on other areas to join the protests. [22] The DA [23] and Economic Freedom Fighters (EFF) accused the ANC of instigating and spreading the protests to discredit them in the run up to the 2019 South African general election. [24] [25]

Notable South African academic Steven Friedman, criticised media coverage of the protests for "denigrat[ing] poor people by offering a distorted picture of their lives" and supporting politically motivated narratives that the protests were incited by political parties instead of being driven by genuine grievances. [26]

See also

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References

  1. ↑ "Two protesters killed during Soshanguve protest". News24. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  2. 1 2 "LOOK: Service delivery protests snowball as politicians shift blame". www.iol.co.za. 12 April 2019. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  3. ↑ "Pennyville protesters arrested". eNCA. Retrieved 13 April 2019.
  4. ↑ "#AlexTotalShutdown: 'We inherited a rot, a mess' - DA's Maimane". News24. 3 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  5. ↑ Nyathi, Ayanda. "Alex residents vow to continue with protest until Ramaphosa, Makhura comstarted in Xitsonga". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  6. 1 2 "Alex protest timeline: Anger, ignored pleas, and threats". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  7. ↑ Naidoo, Sashin (9 April 2019). "SAFTU supports Alex protests, calls on other townships to join". SABC News. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  8. ↑ "WATCH: Service delivery protests spread from Alexandra to the rest of SA". News24. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  9. ↑ LERATO DIALE, LESEGO MAKGATHO AND SIPHO MABASO (14 April 2019). "Collapse of local leadership major cause of violent protests - analysts | IOL News". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  10. ↑ "Tshwane shutdown causes chaos in Pretoria". News24. 11 April 2019. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  11. ↑ Gerber, Jan (12 April 2019). "Protesters trying to attract politicians' attention - Municipal IQ". News24. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  12. ↑ "Protesters won't back down as Somerset West unrest continues". News24. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  13. ↑ "Somerset West: Shops looted, bar emptied overnight". News24. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  14. ↑ "Residents block main road in Bergville service delivery protest". ECR. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  15. ↑ "Rubber bullets fired as Bekkersdal protests intensify". eNCA. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  16. ↑ Brandt, Kevin. "Caledon protesters await municipality's response to demands". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  17. ↑ "WATCH: Khayelitsha shutdown causes havoc on Cape Town roads | Cape Argus". www.iol.co.za. 11 April 2019. Retrieved 16 April 2019.
  18. ↑ Eyewitness News (21 April 2019). "Violent protests break out in Riverlea". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
  19. ↑ "Service delivery protests spread to Soweto". TimesLIVE. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  20. ↑ Simelane, Bheki C. "ALEXANDRA PROTESTS: Alex residents march to Sandton, determined to have their grievances heard". Daily Maverick. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  21. ↑ Mitchley, Alex (7 April 2019). "Alex shutdown: DA, ANC in blame-game as protest set to spread to Sandton". News24. Archived from the original on 11 April 2019. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  22. ↑ Naidoo, Sashin (9 April 2019). "SAFTU supports Alex protests, calls on other townships to join". SABC News. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  23. ↑ Tefu, Nyakallo. "DA to lay a criminal complaint against ANC for Alex protests". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  24. ↑ Mahlakoana, Theto. "EFF: Alex service delivery protest an opportunistic move by ANC". ewn.co.za. Retrieved 11 April 2019.
  25. ↑ "'Service delivery protests are part of the ANC's plans to discredit the DA'". www.iol.co.za. Retrieved 12 April 2019.
  26. ↑ Friedman, Steven (22 April 2019). "How portrayal of protest in South Africa denigrates poor people". The M&G Online. Retrieved 22 April 2019.
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