Hout bay residents have promised to stop their protests for the time being, as it looks to continue engagement with authorities on their grievances. This emerged at a meeting in Hangberg today, attended by MEC for Community Safety Dan Plato and Hout Bay ward councillor Rob Quintas.

It follows a week of tension, which saw local fisherman, stage a violent demonstration over their fishing rights. The fishermen burnt rubber, tyres and flung petrol bombs at police, who responded with rubber bullets and tear gas. Other residents who joined in used the protest to project their anger of a lack of proper housing and basic services in Hangberg, an impoverished fishing community on the Sentinel mountain.

The meeting on Friday follows a cancelled meeting with the Department of Fisheries this week, which angered many residents who accused officials of disregarding their plight. This meeting is now expected to take place on Sunday.

Friday’s meeting focused on the concern around fishing permits, but also around housing, social and community based issues.

“MEC Dan Plato and myself took note of the grievances, many of them the City is already working on. Others are partnerships with the provincial government and other stakeholders. We have committed to coming back to the community on Monday with a response,” said Councillor Quintas.

“We were very lucky that were able to break through some of the deadlock and concerns and that there has been a commitment from community leadership that the protests will stop. The Hangberg clinic, day care centre, primary and high school will be able to function as normal as from Monday.”

MEC Plato said he was pleased with the agreement of the community that the violence would cease. Plato accepted a memorandum handed at the meeting on Friday morning.

“Minister Plato is happy that there is a commitment that schools and clinics will open as per normal on Monday,” said his spokesperson Ewald Botha.

Quintas has expressed the need for the City and various departments such as informal settlements, roads upgrades and basic services to set up a public meeting with residents.

He also urged the council to remove all the debris, rocks and other items used in the protests to restore the fishing village to normality.

Quintas said he has also arranged trauma counselling for members of the community who have been exposed to the violence over the few days. VOC