Chaos erupted in the Khayelitsha Magistrate’s Court on Thursday in the latest clash between police and members of the Anti-Eviction Campaign in the Mandela Park settlement in Khayelitsha.
The court drama, which occurred when police fired pepper spray at supporters of anti-eviction activists due to appear in court, followed two weeks of violent conflict between protesters and the security forces.
Western Cape Anti-Eviction Campaign (AEC) spokesperson Peter van Heusden said that on Monday last week police arrested 17 Mandela Park residents, mainly those who had tried to reoccupy houses from which they had been evicted. Van Heusden said that on Wednesday police used live ammunition to disperse one of the regular anti-eviction rallies in Mandela Park, injuring an elderly woman.
The following day the army had been called in, while on Sunday 16 Casspirs patrolled the settlement.
On Thursday scores of supporters turned up at the magistrate’s court to attend three hearings of AEC members facing charges of public violence, trespassing and contempt of court.
Cape Town city police suddenly sprayed pepper gas at supporters outside the courtroom, triggering a chaotic mêlÃ