The South African government has reaffirmed its intention of demolishing the squatters' camp at Crossroads, outside Cape Town, by the end of the year. Speaking to the Nationalist Party Conference in the Cape in August both C.P. Mulder, Minister of Plural Relations, and P.W. Botha, later the new NP Prime Minister, stated that Crossroads would be cleared, its 'illegal' residents removed and stricter influx control measures implemented in the Western Cape.
Crossroads has withstood a long process of harassment from the authorities since its establishment in February-March 1975, when Africans without official accommodation in the area began to move there. During 1975 several residents were taken to court and charged with being in the area illegally. With help from the Advice Office set up by the Black Sash and SAIRR, test cases prevented their removal and in June 1976 Crossroads was declared an emergency camp and water and sanitation services provided, at a cost of R7 per month per household.
This provided temporary security and the community flourished, growing to a population of some 20,000 with its own churches, school, retailers, administrative committees and law enforcement patrols. During 1977 however the government took steps towards its eventual demolition with amendments to the Illegal Squatting Act, removing residents' rights to prevent demolition through court injunctions, and with the destruction of two large unofficial camps at Modderdam and Unibel.
In 1978 it was announced that Crossroads too would be destroyed, once the winter was over. On 6 September the first major police raid took place between midnight and dawn when some 400 people were arrested under the pass laws.
A week later, on 14 September, the police staged another massive raid, deploying nearly 300 men drawn from the police, the reserve and the Peninsula Administration Board. Dogs and teargas were used. The initial raid took place at 2am; but the residents were forewarned. The police official statement said "At 2am on 14 September 272 members of the SAP visited the squatters' camp at Crossroads with the exclusive aim of mopping up criminals, loafers and people illegally in the area. A hostile crowd awaited the police. The police were attacked with stones, bottles, sticks and so forth. Ten members of the force were injured and two police vehicles damaged. In self-defence the police used tear smoke and a baton charge was carried out".
Shots were also fired and one resident, Sindele Ndlela (33) was killed. Another man, Fanelo Manyisana (32) was also thought to be dead but police later claimed he was in custody in Pollsmoor prison. Having been repulsed, the police attacked again at 7am, when some 300 residents were arrested, toegther with a number of local sympathisers, some of whom were later charged under the Riotous Assemblies Act. The residents were again prosecuted under the pass laws. Among those arrested was Johnson Ngxobongwana, spokesman for the Crossroads Committee and four members of the camp's Women's Committee.
The Committee issued a statement on the police action, saying "the police say they came on a crime prevention operation. If they came to us to ask for criminals we could help them. We also do not want criminals here. The 300 people who were arrested, were they criminals? Is our chairman, Mr. Ngxobongwana, who was beaten up, a criminal?
"The man who was killed by them had no weapon. The woman whom they do not acknowledge was wounded, fell to the ground after she had heard a shot and felt a sharp pain in her arm while being chased by police. The other man who was shot was dragged into a police van. He is supposed to be in Pollsmoor but no one was allowed to see him. We still do not know whether he is dead or alive...
"Brig. Rossouw (Divisional Commissioner for the Western Cape) says the police used some 'necessary' force to restore order. The police never restored order. There was perfect order before they came. After they came there was no more peace".
During October it was revealed that the South African authorities were preparing a resettlement area to which the Crossroads people could be removed, in an area of the Eastern Cape destined to become part of the Transkei and where Chief Matanzima and his brother had already acquired free farms. Matanzima opposed this proposal and it was reported that a new site near Whittlesea in the Ciskei had been chosen.
