I condemn in the strongest possible terms the violent protests that have taken place in Dunoon, Milnerton, and Joe Slovo over the past week.

There is no justification for the vandalism and anger aimed at innocent residents, commuters, MyCiTi personnel, City staff, and others who have happened to be in these areas during the protests.

Aside from the MyCiTi commuters and staff who were exposed to traumatic situations, the residents of Dunoon and Joe Slovo have been significantly affected as they risked their lives to get to work, school, and other destinations.

We cannot accept nor tolerate this lawless behaviour.

Perpetrators stoned the Phoenix MyCiTi station in Joe Slovo this morning, 27 September 2019, to gain entrance. Thereafter the thugs raided the kiosk. The entire station was vandalised and set alight. It is a miracle that the personnel managed to vacate the station unharmed. The station will remain closed until further notice.

The MyCiTi station at Dunoon that remained closed after it was vandalised a few years ago, was again set alight this morning. There is nothing left to vandalise.

We will do a thorough assessment of the costs of the damage as soon as the situation has stabilised. It is safe to say that we will probably need millions of rand to replace and repair the infrastructure. It will also take months to do the repair work, which will have an impact on commuters who will not be able to use the facilities.

I can confirm that a criminal case will be opened and that we are currently working on identifying these perpetrators on the CCTV footage which could be obtained. Anyone arrested will be investigated in terms of the Criminal Matters Amendment Act which provides for stricter bail conditions and harsher sentences, including up to 30 years’ imprisonment for those caught and convicted for destruction of essential infrastructure.

We must act strongly against those responsible for the violence, vandalism, and damage.

 Law Enforcement and the South African Police Services (SAPS) are currently present in the area.

As a precautionary measure, we have closed the Sanddrift MyCiTi station as well, and MyCiTi Routes 261; 262 and 260 are temporarily suspended until further notice.

Commuters are advised that the buses operating Route T03 are being deviated from Omuramba to Century City via Montague Drive. Further deviations include the T01 and T04 buses which are short-turning at Potsdam station and the Killarney station. Both stations will remain closed until further notice.

Commuters are advised to visit the MyCiTi website on www.myciti.org.za for regular updates about the service; and to follow us on Twitter @MyCiTiBus; or to phone, the Transport Information Centre on 0800 65 64 63 – the TIC is available 24/7.

STATEMENT BY THE CITY’S MAYORAL COMMITTEE MEMBER FOR TRANSPORT, ALDERMAN FELICITY PURCHASE