Your commute to work might have been rather incident-free, but that wasn’t the case for many Capetonians this morning.

That’s because various areas of the city have “erupted in chaos in the total shutdown protests against poverty and crime”, with police using stun grenades, water cannons and rubber bullets to get the protests under control.

IOL below:

According to the mayoral committee member for safety and security, JP Smith, there are approximately 300-350 protestors across the city.

Govan Mbeki Road is closed between Caltex Garage and Snoekies where protesters are reportedly blocking the roadway and in Hanover Park, Govan Mbeki Road is closed at Becker Road and at Jan Smuts Drive.

On the street, the anger is palpable. These two videos come via Henk Kruger, with the first showing Bonteheuwel:

This was filmed in Kensington:

Looks like some of the police didn’t take kindly to being called out:

BREAKING: Violence has broken out in Bonteheuwel. Stun grenades, water cannons, tear gas and rubber bullets shot. pic.twitter.com/31aSZcwcBK

— Athi Mtongana (@Artii_M) September 25, 2018

According to Times LIVE, organisers have said the protests are due to finish at 10AM:

Roads closed shortly after the protests began at 5am included Ottery Road and Voortrekker Road. Bellville taxi rank was also reportedly closed. Proclaiming that nothing has changed for them since the fall of apartheid‚ the activists said they aimed to close as many of the city’s key roads as possible.

Organiser Henriette Abrahams‚ from Bonteheuwel‚ said protesters would close roads leading to the N2‚ M5 and M3.

The protests are due to end at 10am. Abrahams insisted the protests would be peaceful. “We just need the government to hear us … all tiers of government‚” she said.

Earlier this morning, protesters forced some bus services to come to a halt, and commuters were ordered to disembark:

Commuters disembark from a bus forced to stop during the Western Cape Total Shutdown in Cape Town on Tuesday. Video: Esa Alexander pic.twitter.com/nE3N7arl9F

— David Chambers (@daveincapetown) September 25, 2018

Police attempt to move protesters away from an intersection on the Cape Flats during the Western Cape Total Shutdown on Tuesday. Video: Esa Alexander pic.twitter.com/CWa8VzSJZi

— David Chambers (@daveincapetown) September 25, 2018

A group called the Western Cape Total Shutdown Communities has also issued a statement:

“We cannot have life continuing as normal while people are dying on a daily basis…We cannot afford food and basic necessities such as water‚ electricity and transport‚ and added to this we live in overcrowded communities because of a lack of decent housing‚” said the statement.

“Further to this‚ the high levels of corruption in the public and private sector are exacerbating the poor’s plight‚ as resources which are meant to improve the lives of the poor are being stolen by thugs in suits and boardrooms‚ leaving the poor to die of hunger and violence.

“Our communities are saying enough is enough. We are taking back our power and mobilising to govern ourselves‚ as those meant to serve on our behalf have proven themselves untrustworthy and unaccountable to us‚ the working class.”

I suppose that’s something most South Africans can relate to, but in areas like those affected by this morning’s protests, it’s clear that the communities feel like the government has failed them.

[sources:iol&timeslive]