Take protest to City Hall

WE experienced rioting in the Seaview area last week.

The residents of the two informal settlements along the Seaview main road off the N2 were protesting yet again about service delivery issues.

Instead of taking the action to where it belongs, to the offices of the Nelson Mandela Metro, they took to our main road and set out to disrupt the lives of the tax- and rate-paying residents who legally live here.

A large number of us were prevented from going to work and earning an income to pay for the same streets, that will again have be repaired after the protesters damaged them.

What the lack of delivery has to do with me, I have no idea. I did not vote in the current powers that be and am therefore not responsible for their actions or lack thereof.

Why must I and my neighbours experience fear and trauma over matters that are not in our control, not to mention the damage to vehicles caused by the burning debris left behind in the aftermath?

If our councillors, officials and president stopped spending our tax money on fancy cars and houses, entertainment and other wasteful expenditure all of these people could have housing and services that they demand free of course. The rest of us have to pay for these things.

On a more positive note, I would like to thank the South African Police Service for the manner that they handled the violence and put an end to it. They assisted in clearing a pathway for me to get out and get to work, and were friendly and caring despite having just experienced the wrath of the angry illegal residents of the informal settlements.

I do hope that none of the SAPS were hurt in this violent outburst.

Thank you for protecting us and for assisting me.

To the residents of the informal settlements in the area, please move out. We are sick and tired of you disrupting our lives – go burn the streets and strew garbage at City Hall.

Leigh Denny, Seaview