A group of African National Congress (ANC) members including Western Cape Provincial Secretary, Faiez Jacobs, have laid a charge of intimidation against security company Professional Protection Alternative (PPA) at the Camps Bay Police station.
This after guards belonging to the company allegedly ordered them to leave Clifton Fourth Beach last Sunday when they converged at the beach for their annual sunset picnic gathering.
The two PPA guards allegedly instructed them to leave, stating that the beach closes after 8 o’clock in the evening.
PPA has since denied the allegations suggesting that law enforcement agencies from the City of Cape Town were responsible. The City says it is investigating the matter.
Jacobs explains: “I’m part of a group that we are laying a charge of intimidation and victimisation. We were forced to leave the beach. Two people from the PPA clad in black uniforms came and threatened beach-goers. We stood our ground but they also clearly evicted the whole beach at that moment in time. So, we want the police to investigate this security company,” says Jacobs.
A Clifton resident says he believes the increase in violent activities at the beach might have contributed to the forceful removal of some beach-goers.
“I was on the beach. I was asked to leave. I was sort of surprised that I was, but I can understand why the law enforcement did that – because a day or two days before I witnessed a stabbing incident two meters away from me and it became very traumatic, and I think that possibly the law enforcement felt was becoming unsafe and that for everyone’s benefit, they needed to clear the beach. I don’t think the security company was involved,” says the resident.
Earlier, the Minister of Environmental Affairs Nomvula Mokonyane has criticised the security company that allegedly ordered black beach-goers to leave Clifton beach over the Christmas holiday.
She says her Department will summon the City of Cape Town and the PPA security firm.
Mokonyane has described the alleged interference and racial profiling of beach-goers by private security firms as unlawful.
“The 3 000 kilometres coastline is not owned by any single individual or any community. It belongs to the public and everybody black and white has access to that. We also have an obligation as South Africans to make sure that when we use these public facilities, we maintain the mental standards and we do not also impose what is a preference of a minority or a certain group because of their own proximity. It’s unacceptable RSA belongs to all who live it,” says Mokonyane.
The Parliamentary Portfolio Committee on Environmental Affairs says the removal of black people at Clifton Beach in Cape Town goes against the Constitution of the country.
Meanwhile a number of activists and religious organisations have come out in support of the protest picnic at the Beach on Saturday evening.
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