TRASHED: Angry protesters demanding RDP houses have again left Mew Way in Khayelitsha covered in litter.

Public transport was disrupted as buses and taxis had to be rerouted due to rubbish containers blocking the road.

KHAYELITSHA streets were still covered in litter yesterday after service delivery protests resulted in chaos on Monday night as garbage containers blocked roads, forcing taxis and buses to be rerouted.

Golden Arrow stopped the company’s buses from entering Khayelltsha via Mew Way on Monday night as large, green garbage containers were dragged into the middle of the road.

Several commuters angrily alighted before they reached their stops, as buses were turned away from Mew Way.

This followed a heated protest In which residents also dug trenches in the road and trashed the streets.

A housing and service delivery protest in Nyanga turned violent this week as a RI million Golden Arrow bus was stoned and then set alight.

Golden Arrow spokeawoman Bronwen Dyke. said the protesters began stoning the bus, which had no passengers. The driver jumped out and ran to safety .

Protesters then placed a burning tyre under the empty bus, which caught alight and was destroyed. The incident occurred on Monday night.

Dyke said the company did not know why the bus had been attacked, but confirmed that services would continue but alternative routes would be considered If necessary “There is no justification for such criminal acts of vandalism. This sort of criminality not only endangers lives, but affects ordinary people who must get to work and back in order to put food on the table,” she said.

Describing the violence as unacceptable, area ward councillor Andile Matshikiza said residents from Thabo Mbeki Informal settlement were protesting over the lack of housing as well as other service delivery issues.

“These people have been waiting for houses and basic services such as sanitation facilities for a long time, but the way in which they handled the matter was wrong.”

Monday’s protest came just a week after thousands of residents of TR section. Site B and Island took to the streets, demanding houses.

Source: Cape Times – Luvuyo Mjekula and Chad Cupido