Much needed food distribution has ground to a halt in Hangberg after the Little Angels Educare Centre was set alight and gutted, allegedly by protesting residents.
Owner Liezl Mathews says Hangberg community members torched her crèche and stole all the food supplies.
According to Mathews, the community has accused her of calling Metro Police to come and dismantle illegal structures in Hangberg.
She says the feeding scheme on which hundreds depend has come to a halt for now.
“I distributed food for three months from the centre,” explains Mathews.
UPSET: Liezl Mathews feeds kids from crèche
“The kids in the community want to know where the food is going to come from now.
“The children and their families benefited from the place and the community took that away from them.
“For the sake of my family, I will step down from feeding the community, for now.”
Tameron Bosman, a parent of one the kids enrolled at the centre says her son has nowhere else to attend school now.
“I don’t work and it was a nice feeling for me to see my son happy at Little Angels. His tummy was always full and there was so much for other kids and adults too.
“Where must my child go now? He was crying when Little Angels started burning and said, mommy, look my school is burning,” says Tameron.
ATTACK: Little Angels in Hangberg destroyed
Police spokesperson Colonel Andrè Traut says cops were deployed in Hangberg on Friday following violent protests.
“The local community retaliated when illegal structures were demolished by the City of Cape Town on Friday.
“Buildings were set alight and damage to infrastructure was caused.
“The circumstances surrounding the violence are being investigated and no one has been arrested as yet.
“The situation has since been stabilised.”