By Ragheema Mclean
The City of Cape Town says there were no significant incidents overnight linked to the anti-illegal immigration shutdown, with marches that took place across the metro remaining largely peaceful.
City officials confirmed that while several demonstrations were held, they were relatively small and proceeded without major disruption.
Mayoral Committee Member for Safety and Security JP Smith said enforcement agencies responded to a number of opportunistic criminal incidents targeting foreign-owned businesses in parts of the city, including Delft, Gugulethu, Hanover Park and Mfuleni.
“These were isolated incidents, and thanks to the swift response of enforcement agencies, at least 13 arrests were made for public violence and malicious damage to property,” Smith said.
“A special word of thanks also to the other City departments and external partners like SAPS, EMS, the SPCA and GABS who were part of our Disaster Coordinating Team, and our Neighbourhood Watch partners and residents for being our eyes and ears on the ground,” he said.
Smith added that the City’s enforcement and emergency services will continue to monitor for any xenophobic threats and respond swiftly to incidents as part of ongoing public safety operations.
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