Premier rallies residents of divided Coligny
Coligny cannot be rebuilt without facing the reality that people there live in poverty and need land, North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo said yesterday.
“It is the responsibility of all of us to rebuild Coligny, but we are not going to do it without confronting the truth that our people need land and are poor,” he said at a public meeting in Tlhabologang, near the crisis-hit area.
He said he had met with farmers and white residents who had raised security issues but were committed to rebuilding the small maize-producing town.
Mahumapelo was in Coligny after days of violent protests that left at least six houses and three trucks torched, shops looted and shut the town down.
The violence erupted on April 24, after 16-year-old Matlhomola Mosweu died on April 20.
Pieter Doorewaard, 26, and Phillip Schutte, 34, two employ- ees of a local farmer, appeared in court this week in connection with his death.
Mosweu allegedly stole a sunflower from their employer’s field near the Scotland informal settlement.
Mosweu allegedly jumped off a moving vehicle severely injuring his neck. He later died in hospital. An eyewitness told the police Mosweu was thrown off the moving bakkie, the court heard this week.
After his death local residents went on the rampage demanding the arrest of the two men and destroying property largely belonging to white residents of the town.
The protest stopped after the two men handed themselves over to the police on April 25.
They were released on bail on May 8, which set off more protests.
Mahumapelo was accused of inciting violence at Mosweu’s funeral on May 7.
He had told mourners that Mosweu died at the hands of two white males and the court must not only look into who killed him, but how he was killed.
And yesterday he told the community he would not retract his statement as he had not done anything wrong in terms of the law.
He announced that a cleansing ceremony would be held today. – ANA