Zimbabwean nationals waiting to be processed and transported home at the Epping Home Affairs Repatriation Centre.
Image: Ayanda Ndamane / ANA Studios
Cape Town woke to a calm and peaceful Tuesday morning as the June 30 deadline set by anti-immigration groups passed without any reports of violence or major disruptions in the city.
After weeks of uncertainty, heightened security planning and widespread fears of possible unrest, roads across the metro remained open, traffic flowed normally and businesses began operating as usual under the watchful eye of law enforcement.
Cape Town Mayor Geordin Hill-Lewis took a MyCiTi bus on Tuesday morning, saying it was “business as usual” in the city despite concerns around the June 30 deadline.
“We are keeping Cape Town working today. Our Metro Police and Law Enforcement are out across the city monitoring for any disruption attempts.
“Cape Town is the only working city in SA. Today we will keep it that way and uphold law and order,” Hill-Lewis said.
Providing an update at 8.30am, Mayco member for Safety and Security Alderman JP Smith said the City’s Disaster Operations Centre had been activated while the Joint Operations Committee continued meeting with all City services and partner agencies in response to threats of possible anti-immigrant violence.
“I can report that this morning all roads are open and free flowing and that we have had no incidents relating to xenophobic violence,” Smith said.
He noted that the only isolated incident linked to tensions occurred on Monday in Kalksteenfontein, but said it had been “quickly nipped in the bud”.
Smith appealed to residents to report any incidents directly to authorities rather than spreading unverified information on social media.
He said a video had circulated overnight falsely claiming violence had broken out in Khayelitsha. The City later established that the footage related to a cash-in-transit robbery in Gugulethu and was unrelated to the planned June 30 action.
“I ask that, please, for the public today, if you’re not sure, contact our call centre and ask, but please do not make yourself guilty of being part of the fake news machine.
“Help us keep our city stable; help prevent public violence and let’s help protect the fabric of our society,” Smith said.
Earlier, at around 7.30am, Fight Against Crime South Africa (FACSA) also reported a peaceful start across the Western Cape as it continued monitoring the situation following concerns around planned protest action.
According to FACSA, no protest activity, incidents or disruptions had been reported in Dunoon, Somerset West, Lwandle, Killarney Gardens, the Blaauwberg Road corridor, the Refinery precinct, Plattekloof Road, Montague Park, Theo Marais Park, Table View, the Milnerton Fire Department precinct, Ludel Park, Maconi Beam, the Koeberg Road corridor, Joe Slovo Park, Athlone Industrial, Philippi East, Bishop Lavis, Khayelitsha, Mitchell’s Plain, the Cape Town CBD, Salt River, the Wynberg corridor, Baden Powell Drive, the Blue Route and Tokai corridor, the R300 corridor and the N2 Airport corridor.
FACSA said visible policing and monitoring operations were continuing across several areas, but cautioned that conditions remained fluid and could change rapidly throughout the day.
The organisation urged residents to remain vigilant, remain calm and report any criminal activity while continuing to submit updates, photographs, videos and information relating to road closures or protest activity to assist in keeping communities informed.
While Tuesday morning brought some relief to anxious residents and business owners, authorities reiterated that monitoring would continue throughout the day.