Demanding Justice & Support: An Open Letter to CoCT Following the March for System Change
On the 21st of March 2024, in Cape Town, civil society from different sectors, organisations, and communities across the city came together for a mass action to call for deep systemic change. We called for justice in the areas of food, energy, water, land and housing, transport, global solidarity, and an end to gender based violence. The action had received a permit from the City of Cape Town (CoCT) for 2500 people to march and gather. In issuing the permit, the CoCT confirmed that sufficient police, law enforcement, and traffic officers would be present to ensure the safety of all involved with the action. Unfortunately this proved not to be the case.
As we began to gather at the designated time we noticed that members of the ANC were also gathering at the same time. This made it difficult for us to communicate with our assembled group. Although we were notified about this, we were assured that it wouldn’t be an issue as the two protests would be well distanced and kept separate, and that we would be marching in different directions. However there were very few visible officers present as both our crowd and the ANC crowd began to grow. This resulted in tensions escalating between the groups, only mitigated by our group's marshals. We believe that despite our best efforts to separate the groups gathering we needed the law enforcement present to help ensure that the mobilisations would be separate.
Once everyone was gathered we were informed by an officer present that despite the lack of law enforcement and traffic officers, we should begin the procession to Parliament to make space between our own massive crowd and the growing ANC mobilisation.
We were compelled to begin the procession to Parliament as our crowd was beginning to get agitated in the sun and some within the ANC crowd marched towards our group and pushed the crowd forward. We abided by our responsibility to listen to law enforcement, as we committed to in an earlier meeting with the city and police officials on 12 March 2024.
As we began to march a taxi came out of a small side road where taxies for the ANC mobilization were parked. The taxi drove directly into our crowd, hitting many and severely injuring three of our individuals. Our marshals and crisis response team immediately jumped into action to disperse the crowd from the injured individuals, see to the injured, contact an ambulance, ensure that the driver did not run away from the scene as well as alert the few officers present who were not aware that the situation had occurred.
It was only after this traumatic incident that more police and law enforcement arrived.
To ensure that the large crowd did not disrupt the ambulance, a small team remained with the injured, and the broader group continued the march. The difficult decision to continue was approved by the officers leading the procession, but the march remained severely under-serviced and unprotected: not only during the procession to parliament, but as we gathered there as well, as the road was not closed off for our large crowds' safety.
As we gathered we noted that another group, People's Movement for Change, had been approved for a protest that was scheduled to start as our formal gathering programme and demand handover was due to begin.
We are extremely grateful to the paramedics who ensured the three individuals got to the hospital safely, and the doctors who tended to the individuals at New Somerset Hospital. The team that remained at the hospital until the individuals were discharged felt that they were in good hands at all times. We, however, condemn the poor support by law enforcement officials for our march. The right to protest is enshrined into our constitution and it is the responsibility of our government to ensure we are able to do so safely. We believe that had police, law enforcement, and traffic services been present in their numbers as they promised, and as the size of our crowd demanded, such incidents and further risks to public safety could have been avoided. Further to that, the Public Order Police promised that they would open the case and register the incident at the nearby SAPS. However the morning after the incident, when the team went to check on the case, according to SAPS, there was no record of the incident whatsoever. This was only brought to our attention once members of the team opened a case on behalf of all who were injured.
This incident will no doubt leave a lasting impact on those directly injured and all those who witnessed it. We insist that the City of Cape Town and SAPS investigate why law enforcement was not fully present, why they were negligent by not reporting the incident, as well as into the incident itself. We further demand that the City of Cape Town takes responsibility and provides support to those who were injured. We expect a response clarifying the steps that will be taken to prevent such incidents occurring in the future, including not scheduling multiple protests in the same place at once. As civil society groups organising for a more just and safe world for all, the safety of people attending our events is of the utmost importance to us. Over the years, we have always done, and will continue to do, everything in our power to ensure that our mobilisations are legal and safe. We expect no less from the City of Cape Town and SAPS.
A huge thanks to all of the partners and protestors who were able to keep incredibly high discipline and morale through a very difficult incident, and ensure that the demand handover could be carried out while the injured were cared for. For anyone who is able to provide witness testimonies or evidence, or is in need of psychosocial support please email action@africanclimatealliance.org. Alternatively, you can provide a witness statement via Affidavit at the Buitenkant Street SAPS using the case number 1400/03/2024.
SIgned:
African Climate Alliance
Project 90 by 2030
Ndifuna Ukwazi
Unite Behind
The Green Connection
Feed the Future
African Water Commons Collective
Environmental Monitoring Group
Congolese Civil Society of South Africa
SAFCEI
Extinction Rebellion Cape Town
