ANOTHER SHUTDOWN LOOMS
ANOTHER city-wide shutdown is looming this week.
During a community meeting yesterday, local crime-fighting organisation Wanya Tsotsi indicated that it was planning another “total shutdown” of Kimberley on Wednesday should the Sol Plaatje executive mayor, Mangaliso Matika, not step down.
During yesterday afternoon’s meeting, roughly 2 000 community members gathered in Galeshewe to discuss “the way forward”.
The previous shutdown left a wake of destruction in the city, with rampant looting and damage to public and private properties, especially tuck shops and bottle stores.
By yesterday, no tuck shops had reopened in Galeshewe, with many tuck shop owners having lost everything during the recent protests.
Wanya Tsotsi spokesperson, Pantsi Obusitse, addressed the crowd and while he requested residents to go to work and send their children to school today, he added that the Sol Plaatje Municipality was yet to meet the community’s demand that Matika be removed from office.
“We did everything in our power to avoid going back to the streets but we are left with no choice. This is not a political matter but what is wrong is wrong. What we see is blacks fighting against blacks. Matika is not even here today, even after we requested him to be here. Why is he afraid of his own people?” Obusitse said.
He said that Wanya Tsotsi would now be applying to the authorities for permission to hold another protest march. This was met with a cheer from community members, who indicated that they were ready to go to the streets on Wednesday if the application was successful.
Obusitse also told the massive police contingent that was present at the meeting yesterday that they should “stay” (referring to the hundreds of police members that came from outside the Northern Cape to monitor the situation) as the community was “not done yet”.
“There was a clear call from the community to close down everything. The only time they listen to us is when we go to the streets. Kimberley must just be ready for anything this week, unless Matika steps down and the whole situation will be resolved,” Obusitse concluded.
However, the ANC’s Frances
WATCHING: Police from two other provinces joined the Northern Cape SAPS to monitor the community meeting held in Galeshewe yesterday afternoon. Baard branches have resolved to support their chairperson and want Matika to stay in office. COMING TOGETHER: Around 2 000 people attended a community meeting in Galeshewe yesterday. Pictures: Danie van der Lith
An inter-branch meeting held at the Social Centre in Galeshewe on Friday resolved that more space should be given for investigations to unfold and that proper reasons be given for Matika’s recall.