Calm Returns to Makhaza After Residents Torch Police Vehicle During Electricity Protests

Tension gripped Makhaza, Khayelitsha, on Wednesday night as angry residents took to the streets demanding access to electricity but by Thursday morning, calm had returned to the Cape Flats community.

A Night Of Fire And Frustration

According to authorities, around 180 residents from the Empolweni informal settlement blocked roads and set fires to protest their exclusion from the electricity grid. What began as a call for basic services quickly spiralled into chaos when protesters torched a South African Police Service (SAPS) Nyala during the confrontation.

Police officers on the scene were forced to flee after noticing smoke inside the armoured vehicle. Fortunately, no injuries were reported, but the charred Nyala remained in the middle of Baden Powell Drive well into Thursday morning as traffic police worked to clear the wreckage.

Roads Closed And Investigations Underway

Baden Powell Drive and several nearby streets were closed to traffic, disrupting early-morning commuters. The police confirmed that a case of attempted murder, public violence, and malicious damage to property has been opened.

Community members, meanwhile, say their frustrations stem from years of unfulfilled promises to electrify their homes a recurring complaint in informal settlements across the Cape Flats. “We’ve been living in darkness for years while other areas get connected. We’re tired of waiting,” said one resident who joined the protest.

A Broader Pattern Of Discontent

The Makhaza protest is part of a larger pattern of service delivery unrest in the Western Cape, where many informal communities continue to battle for basic infrastructure. Despite Cape Town’s extensive electrification programmes, informal settlements like Empolweni often fall through the cracks of bureaucratic and land ownership disputes.

Local commentators on social media expressed mixed reactions some condemning the violence while others sympathised with residents’ frustrations. “People shouldn’t burn property, but we also can’t ignore why they’re angry,” one user posted on X (formerly Twitter).

The Way Forward

As calm returns, authorities are calling for dialogue between residents, the City of Cape Town, and Eskom to find a sustainable solution. For many in Makhaza, the night of flames was not just an act of defiance it was a desperate plea to be seen and heard.

Until electricity flows into Empolweni’s homes, the memory of that burning Nyala will remain a symbol of both frustration and resilience on the Cape Flats.

{Source: EWN}

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