Tag Archives: protesters

MORULENG & KANANA PUBLIC VIOLENCE WORSENING

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BY Obakeng Maje

The latest development with regards to Kanana public violence, the police can confirm that there has been two trucks that were set alight this morning in Kanana Village.

According to the information received from one of the truck drivers, his track was loaded with 25 sets of kitchen furniture. According to him he managed to disconnect the horse (truck head) from the trailer loaded with furniture and escaped the scene.

This incident happed near the Kanana old clinic road and the driver was assaulted.

 

In another incident an empty animal-carrying truck also got burned and the driver managed to escape.

The third truck  had an accident due to the stone that barricaded the road and it hit the tree by the side of the road. Currently out of the 36 Moruleng villages only six have this consistent public violence. 

“They include Manamakgoteng, Velgebal, Lerome, Moruleng, Lesetlheng and Magong.  The Bus company whose bus was damaged is  no longer going in those affected areas”Brigadier Ngubane said.

 

In Magong Village one foreign national shop was looted yesterday and one suspect arrested rising the number of arrests to 20 in Moruleng villages more arrests are expected. Two foreign national shops were also looted in Kanana Village and currently the police as well as the Royal Bafokeng Protectioin Services are recovering some of the groceries back from the community.

 

Today a legal march is starting from Lerome to Moses Kotane Municipality. It is believed that the purpose of the march is concerning the RDP houses and unemployment.

The application was made by the group called Activists for a better life for all, and the permission was granted.  The tensions are high as this march now coincides with these reported public violence and Lerome is among the six that are involved in the public violence.  

PUBLIC VIOLENCE ERUPTS IN RUSTENBURG

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BY Obakeng Maje

The Police in Mogwase have opened a case of public violence, malicious damage to property and Arson, following the march that started from the Mogwase sports ground.

 

This happens to be a killomitre away from the Bakgatla ba Kgafela Tribal Authority (BBKTA) offices. According to the information received, the community of Bakgatla ba Kgafela in Moruleng was duly awaiting feedback from the BBKTA authorities.

 

This follow up meeting was due to the memorandum handed on the 24 May 2012, stating their complaints.

 

It is alleged that the leaders of the march refused to be the only receivers of the feedback from Bakgatla tribal authority. They wanted everyone to march to BBKTA and hear the response for themselves. In their memorandum to the tribal authority the community demanded that the Authority does something about them being hired at the Pilansburg Mines which is near Mothlabe village and given first preference as the local people.

 

“They are also not happy with running of the tribal Authority. It is also alleged that the Bakgatla Authority is a share owner in the mine. Rustenburg POP addressed the community warning them that it would be an illegal march. However a group of strong 1000 Bakgatla protesters gathered and forcefully marched” Brigadier Ngubane said.

 

The situation eventually spiraled out of control and led to the arrest of 5 males and 10 females who participated in the illegal march from the sports ground to BBKTA offices.

This happened around 16:00 today (5 June 2012).  At about 19:00 things got more intense as the car of a passer-by was damaged and a shop belonging someone working at the BBKTA office who happens to be a relative of the chief were set alight.  More over the roads between Lesetlheng and legkraal has been barricaded.

 

However the police are doing their best to control the situation., More arrests are expected.

 

Boitekong: Another unrest situation also started in the area of Boitekong at about 6h30 this afternoon where residents are on a rampage demanding that they also be employed at the local mines as the area is surrounded by the different Mining companies.

 

Residents barricaded the road between Mogwase and Rustenburg and many other roads with burning tyres and stones. At about 9h30, at shaft 16 and 17 of Impala Mine they community pelted mine workers vehicles who were hard at work underground at the time.

 

The mob has grown as we go deeper in the winter knight from 1000 people to 2500,moving around the village causing more havoc in Boitekong. Rustenburg Police are still monitoring the situation trying to protect people’s property.

 

The North West, Provincial Commissioner Lieutenant General, Zukiswa Mbombo, raised concerned over the never ending public violence in the Rustenburg and the province in general. She said these unrests detract her police forces from focusing on fighting crime and fighting criminals that are terrorising our communities on daily basis. This is a big concern as she wished to see one day these riots coming to an end. “Normal Policing is being compromised as we have to shift Police officers from other policing areas”.

 

 

 

 

 

PROTESTATIONS LEAD TO LOOTING AND VANDALISM: NORTH WEST PROVINCE!!!!

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BY Obakeng Maje

BOITEKONG(near Rustenburg): On Sunday, 20 May 2012,  protesters in Sunrise Park, Boitekong near Rustenburg embarked on violent protests. 

It is alleged that at about 21:00, a group of about 150 people started with an illegal gathering. Police were immediately informed about the situation and members responded to the complaint accordingly.

 

Allegedly this group of protesters were residents of an informal settlement called Dikhibidung, near Sunrise Park, and it was not clear what they were unhappy about as they did not want to engage in any conversations.  At about 02:00 on Monday, 21 May 2012, protesters attempted to set alight the local clinic, but the Police were there just on time and managed to remove a burning tyre that was placed inside the clinic.

Several window panes as well as the entry glass doors of the clinic were damaged when protesters threw stones at them. Immediately after attempting to set the clinic alight, protesters then proceeded to foreign nationals’ shops, 8 shops were reported to have been looted.

Police were on the scene and managed to disperse some of the protestors, but they kept on re-grouping.

 

“Today, Monday, 2012-05-21, the protesters set 3 dirt road scrapers  and one caravan alight. Allegedly this property belongs to a construction company, that was building roads in the area” Warrant Officer Tselanyane said.

 

Presently there are about 3000 protestors gathered and barricading the roads and throwing stones at the Police. Members of Bafokeng Public Order Policing are currently monitoring the situation.  

 

The Provincial Commissioner of the North West Province, Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo would like to urge the community to not take the law into their own hands and warned that disruptive actions will not be tolerated in Boitekong.

 

UNREST AT LESETLHENG VILLAGE CAUSES A HAVOC

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MOGWASE: The community of Lesetlheng Village near Moruleng have since last week been engaged in protests and barricading the road between Lesetlheng Village and Pilanesberg mine. On Thursday, 17 May 2012 during the day, the unrest led to criminal activities whereby stones were thrown at vehicles passing on the road between Lesetlheng Village and Pilanesberg mine and one vehicle was damaged as a result.  

 

Police in Mogwase together with Rustenburg Public Order Police attended the scene and controlled the situation. It is alleged that during the night of Thursday, 17 May 2012 the protesters gathered again on the road and continue throwing stones at the vehicles travelling on the road between Lesetlheng Village and Pilanesberg mine.

Allegedly drivers were requested to pay a certain amount of cash before they could be allowed to pass using that road.  A bus belonging to Amandelbult mine transporting employees to their respective homes was set alight during those protests in Lesetlheng Village, but no one was injured during that incident.

 

Police received information in the morning of Friday, 18 May 2012 that the same group of protesters approached learners of Kgamanyane High School in Ramoga Village near Lesetlheng. 

Learners were forced to join the protest and the School Management Team had no choice but to release the learners to go home. 

 

Two cases of malicious damage to property were registered and Rustenburg Public Order police are currently monitoring the situation.