BY EGINALD KANYANE

MORE than 43 students from North West University were detained at Mmabatho police station after they were arrested and charged for public violence.

The incident took place at the periphery of the university on Wednesday.

The students were on the peaceful march in solidarity of other university students across South Africa. Most of students are on a protest against high tuition fees and said they demand 0% increase.

SRC president Linda Xavier Mabengwana, who spoke to TDN at Mmabatho police station condemned the police behaviour.

“We cannot tell why police resorted to excessive force because the students were not endangering anyone. We were in a peaceful march until the police shot at us.

“That was police brutality and they kicked, beaten students and fired rubber bullets and grenades at them. We want to condemn that behaviour and we demand those who have been arrested be released. We will never back-off and tomorrow we continue with our stay away until our demand are met,” Mabengwana said.

*Police were not available for response before publishing the article.

Most students said the university fees were expensive and that made life difficult for them.
-TDN
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Johannesburg – The ANC Youth League has confirmed that its president, Collen Maine, has been hospitalised after experiencing breathing problems on Wednesday morning.

“He was on a flight and before the flight could leave he had to go out,” ANCYL spokesperson, Mlondolozi Mkhize, told News24.

“He had problems with breathing, so he was advised to go to the hospital.”

Maine was meant to fly to Cape Town where he was expected to visit the University of Stellenbosch and the University of Cape Town, both of which are experiencing student protests over fee increases.

For more http://www.news24.com

BY REGINALD KANYANE

The South African National Civic Organisation (SANCO) in Dr Ruth Segomotsi Mompati Region on Tuesday called on the Independent Police Investigative Directorate (IPID) to investigate allegations of police brutality.

This follows the alleged assault of SANCO Regional Executive Committee Member who was in police custody at the Ganyesa Police Station in the North West province.

“We are concerned that Kgosietsile Phillip was denied proper medical care after he was allegedly assaulted by the Public Order Policing Commander after his arrest on Monday together with six other people. Phillip was reportedly only taken to the local clinic on Tuesday after intervention by our Kagisano-Molopo zonal leadership,” Regional Secretary, Mika Moeti said.  

Moeti said that Phillip and the six were arrested after community protests demanding resumption of construction of a tarred road on the D327 Ganyesa-Mmadinonyane gravel covering 70 kilometers across 18 villages.

“Police brutality provokes communities to anger and violence which we are discouraging during service delivery protests,” Moeti highlighted.

He said that Sanco members and members of the public from affected communities will picket in support of Phillip and those arrested during their court appearance at the Ganyesa Magistrates Offices on Wednesday.

“We expect Murray & Roberts awarded the R265 million road construction project and paid R50 million in advance to immediately return to site, alternatively the provincial government should appoint another service provider to complete work that came to an abrupt halt after only 3 kilometers of gravel was compacted,” Moeti stressed.

The multi-million project was endorsed by communities including  the taxi industry as a priority project during Public Works,Roads and Transport MEC’s consultative road show in November 2012.

The taxi industry had during the engagements complained that the lifespan of their vehicles were short lived as a result of the rocky gravel road they traveled on a daily. 
-TDN
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