Extreme swimmer Lewis Pugh has joined the fight against the construction of the Chapman’s Peak toll plaza.
|||one of the activists heading the fight against the construction of the Chapman’s Peak toll plaza, on Monday broke her 16-day hunger strike.
Bronwen Lankers-Bryne ate a paw-paw – her first solid meal in two weeks.
She and Simon’s Town resident Fiona Hinds were still refusing to move from the site on Monday morning, even after being warned three times and after Hout Bay police came to remove them. The police left after a few minutes.
Members of the construction team, who repeatedly asked the two to leave, refused to speak to the Cape Argus, and referred all queries to Transport and Public Works MEC, Robin Carlisle.
Lankers-Bryne said a paw paw had never tasted that sweet before. She maintained that she was not moving “until Carlisle comes himself and says ‘we’re not building’”.
On Sunday Lankers-Byrne, 59, announced she would call off her hunger strike.
“I’ve now diverted it into a protest” she said on Monday. “Before the trucks arrive (today), we will handcuff ourselves to the cement pillars.
“They said they would consider the Civil Rights Action Group’s (Crag’s) proposals but I don’t believe they had any intention of looking at alternative options. We’ve now changed tactic because we can’t trust them and I’m still determined to stop the concrete,” said Lankers-Byrne.
Hinds, who has been camping inside the building site since Wednesday, said she was getting tired but was still fine.
She said four police cars and a car came through at around 11pm. “I couldn’t see who it was but I’m convinced they came to look at the site.”
On Sunday a crowd of picnickers carried placards to drum up support for the call to halt the construction of the toll plaza.
Extreme swimmer Lewis Pugh has joined the fight.
He
slammed the provincial government and the DA for building on a spot recognised by Unesco as a world heritage site.
“They need to respect the environment. How can they spend such a vast amount on building a R54 million office block when there are so many people in the townships desperately in need for basic schools, clinics and housing? It’s outrageous in so many respects,” said Pugh.
Last week Carlisle said work at the site would resume on Monday afterbuilding was suspended for a brief period while he met Crag to allow them to present their alternative tolling system proposal. - Cape Argus
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