Pretoria – North West Premier Thandi Modise says she is confident that learners, who missed classes at 45 schools as a result of violent protests in the province over the past week, will be able to attend school on Monday.
“The situation in Bloemhof, Bodibe village and Itsoseng is calm following our engagement with stakeholders and protestors, who have agreed to give our interventions a chance.
“Regrettably, the violence has cost much in terms of a life lost, destruction of private and public properties, for which those behind the orchestrated violence should be held responsible.
“The alleged involvement of senior leaders, municipal officials and the looting of local shops by police during the violent unrest in Itsoseng need to be investigated and those responsible brought to book,” Premier Modise told over a thousand residents of Bodibe village and Itsoseng, who had gathered at Itsoseng Stadium.
She said the involvement of a core of political leaders, which is reported to be the common thread coordinating and instigating the violence in the three areas - including Khunotsoane outside Zeerust and Wolmaranstadt - over the past week, was worrisome.
“Those who have hijacked genuine community concerns to plunge our communities into chaos in pursuit of personal interests, without regard for the future of thousands of our children, the life lost and properties destroyed, will have to face the full might of the law,” Premier Modise said.
Responding to issues raised by residents, the premier committed to deploy a team to investigate why the water reservoir built in the area was not functional.
She said the provincial government will start an investigation into water tankering across all municipalities in the province to uproot corruption related to water provision.
Torching incident
The premier has also condemned the torching of the Bahurutshe Ba-Ga Moiloa Tribal Office and a Ramotshere Moiloa Local Municipality councillor’s house in Khunotswane village outside Zeerust.
“The destruction of private and public properties is not a solution to addressing whatever concerns the community might have,” she said.
She reiterated her call for communities not to be misled to participate in illegal marches.
She urged members of the community to assist police with information that will lead to the arrest of those behind the violent acts.
According to police, a group of people gathered next to the tribal office at around 19:15pm on Friday, and burnt tyres.
“The group split themselves into two to execute the attack at around 20:00pm. Some of the people burned the tribal office, while the other proceeded to the councillor’s yard and burned the two-roomed house and broke windows of her newly build house,” Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said.
Upon arrival of the police, some community members threw stones at the police and also at the shop of a Bangladesh national.
Three people were arrested and police are confident that more arrests will be made. – SAnews.gov.za
