Vigilante attack on Sea Point resident for feeding homeless people
6 May 2020
Across the Province and the country good Samaritans are spontaneously opening their wallets, hearts and kitchens to provide their hungry neighbours with meals everyday.
On Freedom Day, 27 April 2020, I requested the Premier of the Western Cape and the Provincial Police Leadership to confirm the lawfulness of the spontaneous feeding schemes popping up all over the province in response to widespread hunger.
I did so after I received reports and a video (https://youtu.be/Q7tWH26LHN0) of a Mouille Point resident having been threatened with arrest, by a Police Captain from the Sea Point Police Station, for feeding homeless people who live on the streets of the Atlantic Seaboard.
Police leadership confirmed that this feeding scheme was lawful.
Despite the lawfulness of this small act of kindness, and despite the strict measures taken by Peter Wagenaar, the resident, to ensure safe distribution of the food, residents on a community Facebook Group – Atlantic Seaboard Action Group – refused to accept this.
In a toxic and shocking chain of posts by members of this Facebook Group a photo of Wagenaar and his wife was posted along with his name and address, a description of his car and the car registration number.
In the early hours of this morning Wagenaar’s car was set alight, believed to be petrol bombed, and totally destroyed.
This is nothing less than an act of vigilantism by a group of residents who do not accept that feeding hungry people who have no shelter and no food is not only lawful but is also an act of ordinary humanity.
Ironically the Facebook Group describes the purpose of the groups as “The law is the law and it applies to ALL, with NO exception.”
The act of destroying the resident’s car is so shocking. The apparent incitement to violence cannot go unpunished and I have written to the Sea Point SAPS Commander. Those who committed this crime must be prosecuted.
Issued by Brett Herron, Secretary General, GOOD, 6 May 2020
