The Western Cape provincial government and the City of Cape Town on Monday reinforced security on the roads leading to the city, on the trains and around the provincial legislature, after picking up that further "poo attacks" were planned on government buildings.

Rumours of a planned protest to the legislature by human excrement-carrying Makhaza residents started flying on Sunday night and an unusually high number of police – in uniform and plain-clothed could be seen outside the legislature by mid-morning on Monday.

Around the same time, a number of the protesters and their leaders – including former ANC councillor Andile Lili – responsible for dumping faeces at the steps of the legislature were arrested at the Esplanade train station in Ysterplaat, according to sources.

Police could not be reached to give details about these arrests.

Lili confirmed to the Mail & Guardian that he and six others had been arrested. He claimed not to know the reasons for their arrest, saying there was no wrong doing from their side.

“We have not done anything wrong. It’s our human rights and dignity that’s being trampled upon,” he said from a police van.

Last week, Western Cape Premier and Democratic Alliance leader Helen Zille's convoy came under attack after protesters from Harare, Khayelitsha, threw feaces at the motorcade. The premier, who arrived in the area for a scheduled talk in a bus, had to leave in a car with one of her VIP protectors.

Police intelligence

A source from the City of Cape Town said police intelligence picked up on Sunday afternoon that there were plans to disrupt the Monday morning traffic on the N2 to Cape Town and also to dump more excrement at the legislature.

Two of the plain-clothed police outside the provincial legislature said they were taking the matter seriously as the legislature is a national key point.

But shortly after 3pm, three men – including Loyiso Nkohla, an ANC councillor in the City of Cape Town – emptied two portable tanks of exrecement at the Protea Assurance Building, which houses the provincial departments of cultural affairs and sport and agriculture.

The building is less than 200m from the provincial legislature.

Nkohla admitted to being one of the “poo dumpers”, saying he wanted the government to get a sense of what the poor were living with in Makhaza, Khayelitsha.

When the M&G arrived at the dumping scene, a man, who only identified himself as “from the building management” was hosing off the remnants of the waste from the ground floor reception area at around 3.30pm.

He said he was not present when the waste was dumped but had been called from upstairs afterwards.

He added that a security guard was present but had been caught off guard.

Ungovernable

Zille said the incident was “a new manifestation of the long-standing campaign” to make the city ungovernable, which has been the ANC Youth League’s stated strategy for a long time, she said.

Zille said the league has roped in several ANC councillors who are also at the forefront of the campaign.

“It is bizarre that the campaign is focusing on the city's ‘portable flush toilet’, which the city is using to eradicate the remaining bucket toilets.

“The portable flush toilet is used like an ordinary flush toilet. The waste is stored in a tank that is clean, hygienic and odourless, and the tank is serviced three times a week.”

She said the ANC Youth League was stealing these tanks and then spreading the contents around various government buildings.

“I have no doubt the voters will have something to say about this come the next election,” Zille added.