The North West Provincial Commissioner, Lieutenant General Zukiswa Mbombo is strongly discouraging the protests actions happening in Manokwane village in Taung and other areas in Top Village, Mahikeng.
Protesters who are threatening to burn down premises are warned that they will face the full might of the law. She urged the community to raise and resolve their concerns with local authorities and stop destroying properties. It is alleged that in Taung, members of the community are protesting about service delivery and non commitment of the local municipality to deliver services. Roads have been barricaded and windows of the local hospital have been damaged by the protestors. Two registered cases of public violence were opened and 12 people were arrested. Three other protestors were also arrested for intimidating the municipal councillors accusing them of poor service delivery. They were all released on bail ranging between R500 and R1000 respectively.
On Sunday, 1 July 2012 Greater Taung Local Municipality Mayor, Kaone Lobelo held a consultative meeting with the community to resolve the service delivery actions. The community worked out of the meeting protesting that the Mayor was not addressing their grievances about their demands. It alleged that after the meeting, protestors burnt down the local chief’s traditional kraal, no arrests were made as the chief didn’t want to register a case.
Mahikeng
In another incident in Mahikeng police have experienced protest marchers in the morning of 02 July 2012. Villages affected include Signal Hill, Makhubung, Lomanyaneng, Moshawane, Golf View, and Madibe-a-Makgabana. Roads were barricaded with stones, tree trunks and burning tyres which disturbed the flow of traffic. The community outcry is as a result of poor service delivery.
No serious incidents were reported in other villages besides Madibe-a-Makgabana where eight people were arrested for public violence. They are all scheduled to appear before Mmabatho Magistrate’s court on Wednesday the 4 July 2012. Police are monitoring the situation on all protests at affected areas.
The situation in Mahikeng is currently volatile between Rooigrond and Mahikeng road as members of the community have started barricading the road and throwing stones at the Police and vehicles that are passing by. Police are currently working around the clock to clear the situation as arrests are expected going into the morning. In Lomanyaneng the road from Itsoseng to Lomanyaneng is also a tug of war between the Police and the community. Communities are barricading the road and throwing stones from the bushes at the vehicles passing by.
Police are monitoring the situation in all affected areas as the situation looks tense and volatile going into the night.
Enquiries:
Brig Thulani Ngubane
Cell: 082 372 4511
Tel: 018 299 7032
Police warn unruly protestors in North West as arrests mount
