Hermanus in the Western Cape still resembles a scene from a horror movie with ongoing violence, intimidation and political upheaval and it is calculated that damages are now approaching R50 million. When speaking to residents however, you realise that there is much more to the story than what the media reports.
Even more than the actual violence and destruction is a level of intimidation reminding of the situation in townships during the state of emergency in the late 80’s.
Businesses cannot function because staff and employees are not allowed to leave the township to go to work. School children must pay R10-00 to be allowed to go to school (where schools are still open, that is) and must report back to the leaders of the uprising before 14:30 every day, otherwise their houses are torched.
In Hermanus town itself businesses are not doing business any more, because deliveries are delayed or simply cannot get through. It is reported that the shelves in certain shops are literally empty looking like those pictures you see of Venezuela. Service delivery is becoming impossible, because the employees are intimidated to stay away from work.
Most concerning is the fact however that various Hermanus residents claim that they are not the instigators, but that the people responsible for the trouble are being brought in from Khayelitsha and Gugulethu with the express purpose of causing trouble. In most cases, the sources of this information are really scared and asked not to be identified under any circumstances.
So what is really going on in Hermanus? Should we read more into the statement made over the weekend that Hermanus will be the first town where expropriation will take place? Is it coincidental that the Western Cape is targeted lately or is part of the plan to take the province back for the ANC?
Why is government so never-minded about the situation in Hermanus, blatantly refusing to send in the Defence Force to restore order?
Is it merely part of the policy of rewarding people for bad behaviour, which we have come to know as ANC / EFF policy?
In the meantime, similar actions started in Ceres this morning where the main road into town was blocked off by protesters, allegedly protesting about taxis. The N2 outside of Mossel Bay was also closed off again by burning tyres and stones being thrown at vehicles.
It seems to be a case of much, much more than what the eye can see.
If we think about this: Basically any town or city in the country can instantly be blocked off by protesters from the townships around it. Pretoria and Johannesburg are surrounded by townships. Cape Town can basically be placed under siege by blocking off the N1 and the N2 and a few minor roads.
And it happens overnight. Take Coligny or Riebeek West as an example. It happened in a matter of minutes!
Question is: Do you get in your car and try to get out? Isn’t a convoy of vehicles blocking the roads not a very soft target?
A while ago a lady from Hermanus was extremely upset because she is a member of Afriforum and Front National and she sits in her house without provisions and why do we not come to her aid? Basically because of this: If you can’t get from your home to the shops (which might be empty as it is), how is anybody supposed to get from the shop to your house to deliver milk, bread, electricity and water?
All we can say is what FN has been saying all along – we don’t know where it will start next, we don’t know when it will hit the next town. But it will. This situation is going to get worse the closer we come to the election.
The only thing you can do is to be prepared. Make sure that you have contact with your neighbours, stock up on water, gas and provisions, get a power bank for your cell phone and laptop in case electricity becomes unavailable, make sure you have fuel in your vehicle and stay away from trouble areas as far as possible.
Read the original article on Front Nasionaal SA
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