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The City of Cape Town is waiting to hear whether police will remove fencing and coils of razor wire that are blocking access to an entrance to the historic Company’s Garden that borders Parliament.

This aesthetically unappealing barricade, in the heart of the city and in full view of passers-by, including tourists, started out as a fence erected in December 2021 ahead of Archbishop Desmond Tutu’s funeral .

Tutu’s funeral was held at St George’s Cathedral, the oldest of its kind in southern Africa, situated alongside the entrance to the Company’s Garden.

That fence was subsequently reinforced with rolls of razor wire at the end of June this year, apparently as a security measure because of breaches at the parliamentary precinct following a fire that gutted Parliament just days after Tutu’s funeral.

Last month, Daily Maverick reported that instead of an inviting, tree-lined pathway into the Company’s Garden, the barricade prevents pedestrians from accessing one of its main entrances.

This entrance leads to Government Avenue — described in a city document as “Cape Town’s earliest main thoroughfare”.

Daily Maverick understands the razor wire might have been put there to stop people from jumping over a wall from the Company’s Garden into the fire-ravaged parliamentary precinct.

The DA recently issued a statement supporting this speculation, saying it was “informed by the Secretary to Parliament, Xolile George, that SAPS installed the barbed wire as an extra security measure after breaches to the precinct ”.

Earlier this month, DA Chief Whip Natasha Mazzone also referred to the barricade, saying: “From the outside, the parliamentary precinct looks like a cordoned-off prison yard .”

In that statement, the DA also brought up how the SAPS was dealing with the matter.

“However much the Minister of Police, Bheki Cele, and his ANC comrades might wish it to be, South Africa is not a police state,” it said.

“The parliamentary precinct… is a symbol of a democratic country where everyone is free and equal under the Constitution. 

“Instead of encasing it in barbed wire and restricting access to public gardens, SAPS must find a viable solution that is in line with the National Heritage Resources Act — increased patrols in vulnerable areas or a mobile station or booth, for instance.”

Last month, at the time of Daily Maverick’s initial report on the matter, the City of Cape Town referred queries about the barricade to the police.

Visit Daily Maverick’s home page for more news, analysis and investigations

National police spokesperson Colonel Athlenda Mathe had said the SAPS would not “discuss security related matters pertaining to national key points in the public domain”.

Daily Maverick understands that the fencing could be removed from the entrance of the Company’s Garden on 1 September, or at some point during that month.

More tourists usually travel to Cape Town towards the festive season nearer the end of the year, so the possible removal of the barricade could coincide with more visitors to the city.

This week, while Mathe again told Daily Maverick that the police would not comment publicly on “matters affecting the country’s national key points”, it emerged that the City of Cape Town was waiting to hear whether police would remove the barricade.

Mayco member for community service and health, Patricia van der Ross, said: “The City’s Recreation and Parks Department confirms that September 2022 was put forward as the opening date; however, the City is currently waiting on the South African Police Service to confirm the date.”

Van der Ross said that according to the SAPS, the barricade was a security measure that came about because of the fire at Parliament that broke out at the end of last year.

The area where the fencing and razor wire was positioned was under police control.

“Government Avenue has been closed since December 2021. The razor wire was put up on Saturday 25 June by the SAPS, who are also patrolling the area. Access to the area for maintenance by Recreation and Parks has subsequently been suspended.”

Van der Ross said the police had been asked to move the fencing over to the Parliament precinct.

“The City,” she said, “has requested that all the fencing be placed on Parliament’s side, along with extending the current fence to allow access and visibility to the Company’s Garden.

“SAPS is yet to provide feedback on the request.”

The fire that reportedly led to the erection of the barricade ripped through Parliament on 2 January, sparking questions about security (and the lack thereof) at South Africa’s legislative authority .

A suspect, Zandile Mafe , was arrested in connection with the blaze and the case against him is ongoing. He remains in custody.

According to court papers, the state’s evidence includes more than 30 hours of video footage.

“There are scenes where the person was seen lighting paper and throwing it from the gallery into the National Assembly,” according to recent court papers .

“At 06:12:05am on 2 January 2022 there is smoke in the Old Assembly passage from the offices.

“[He] was seen peeping with his body up to the chest out of the window at the Old National Assembly and waving at members of the SAPS who came to the scene at 06:29:35. At this time both buildings were set alight and on fire.”

President Cyril Ramaphosa had referred to Archbishop Tutu when speaking about the fire at Parliament.

“ The Archbishop would have been devastated as well, as this is a place he prayed for, supported and wanted to see as a repository of our democracy.”

Ironically, the fencing and razor wire are framed by the Arch for Arch monument that was created to celebrate Tutu’s life. DM

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Perhaps an alternative approach needs to be taken if the argument is that Parliament needs protection – perhaps we should rather move Parliament to Pollsmoor, which I assume is still secure? This might kills two birds with one stone, so to speak, not only protecting Parliament and parliamentarians, but also putting many present politicians firmly behind bars where they ought to be, given both often corrupt activities and their dereliction of duty in holding too many of the miscreants to account, for instance, when are MPs going to insist on proper investigation of certain MPS who clearly gained significant financial benefit from the grand theft at VBS?

Get all those securely locked up, and who knows? There might not be a need to have Parliament behind barbed wire and accountable and responsible governance might prevail?

Cops should just patrol inside and monitor their screens, not necessary for barbed wire in Garden.

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