Three Khayelitsha men are behind bars after they were caught setting a community hall on fire on Thursday.
According to a report by Mayco Member for Safety and Security, JP Smith, the three men were arrested by Metro Police just before 1pm yesterday.
“The Metro Police Tactical Response Unit arrested three suspects just before 1pm on a charge of arson in Khayelitsha,” Smith explains.
“The trio were setting fire to the roof of the OR Tambo Hall in Khayelitsha.
“It appears they were among a group of protesters from RR Block that went on the rampage and started targeting the hall.”
He says the City’s Fire and Rescue Service was dispatched to extinguish the fire but the extent of the damage to the hall has yet to be determined.
“It is very disappointing indeed that City infrastructure is targeted every time.
“This very hall was also damaged during protests in June this year, and now, once more, we’ll have to spend money on repairs that could have been used elsewhere and aiding community development.
“Hopefully the courts will come down hard on the suspects and send a message to those engaging in public violence that there are consequences for their actions,” he says.