Following early-morning protest action on the N2 and R300, VF Plus PR Councillor from the City of Cape Town, Emre Uygun, says frustration over ongoing service delivery challenges is fuelling the latest unrest, but the City and Province say environmental and land constraints make it difficult to provide services such as electricity to the nearby settlement.

Earlier this morning, Monday 5 October 2026, the City of Cape Town reported that several roads were forced to close due to the disruptions.

“The City’s Traffic Service is dealing with incidents of public violence this morning. The N2 inbound is closed at Spine Road with a second closure on the inbound carriageway at Mew Way. The R300 southbound is closed at Hindle Road with a second closure at Stellenbosch Arterial Road. The R300 northbound is closed at the N2. Old Faure Road is closed at Govan Mbeki. Motorists are advised to seek alternative routes,” the City’s Kevin Jacobs said.

All the affected roads were later reopened, just after the morning peak.

A similar protest was reported on Friday, 2 October 2026, with several motorists severely affected by the demonstrations.

Uygun says residents in and around the area are demanding urgent action on service delivery, citing ongoing problems with sanitation and electricity.

“Some members of the community where the protests occurred have since reached out to me, stating that the protest stems from long-standing service delivery issues, including only one functioning tap for the entire informal settlement, no toilets and no electricity.”

Uygun says residents of the COVID-19 informal settlement marched to the city centre and handed over a memorandum to the mayor and the Western Cape Premier but claim they have still not received a response.

“These allegations need to be properly investigated. However, blocking major transport routes is not the solution. Where there are intelligence reports, previous incidents or known community grievances that indicate a potential risk of protest action, proactive engagement and contingency planning should have been in place to minimise the impact on thousands of motorists and commuters who were unable to get to work on time last Friday and again this morning.”

The Premier’s spokesperson Regan Thaw confirmed that the memorandum was received in August. He says the matter is now with the City of Cape Town and the Western Cape Department of Local Government.

The City of Cape Town says it has previously engaged with members of the community on issues including water, sanitation and electricity.

City spokesperson Luthando Tyhalibongo clarified that the settlement, which is opposite Khayelitsha along the N2, is located on Western Cape Government land and in an Eskom-supplied area.

“The Western Cape Government, with inputs from the City and other authorities, has on previous occasions liaised with members of this community and responded to give clarity on matters of, among others, electrification, water and sanitation.”

Tyhalibongo emphasised that large parts of the land are situated in a wetland and on nature reserve land, which are major limiting factors in terms of feasibly being able to electrify the area and to provide other services.

“The City encourages all protest action to remain peaceful and not compromise the safety of motorists or surrounding communities. City safety and security staff are monitoring the situation.”