‘Business in Coligny will take time to recover’

COLIGNY: It will take at least two years for business in the small town of Coligny in the North West to recover after violent protests, a businessman said yesterday.

“We are struggling already,” said businessman Andries Meintjies, 64, who was born in Coligny.

“I am still shocked. This is the first time this kind of a protest occurred in this town. People used to toyi-toyi peacefully.”

Shops were looted and damaged, and three houses and three trucks were torched during protests sparked by the death of a boy believed to be 12 years old.

The boy was killed on April 20, when he allegedly jumped or fell off a moving bakkie driven by a farmer. The farmer apparently caught him stealing a sunflower from his field near the Scotland informal settlement in Tlhabologang township.

He loaded the boy into the bakkie and the boy allegedly jumped or fell off when it reduced speed for a curve in the road. He was badly injured and taken to a clinic where he later died.

Two farmers, Pieter Doorewaard and Phillip Schutte, appeared briefly in court yesterday, in connection with the death of the boy who is yet to be identified. Their case was postponed to May 9, for formal bail application. During their brief appearance, both men, heavily bearded, covered their heads with hooded jackets and requested that the court allow their families to bring them blankets in their police holding cell because it was cold.

Magistrate Mattheus van Loggerenberg, of the Coligny Magistrate’s Court, recused himself from the case, citing the interest of justice, and safety and security for himself and his family, as a resident of Coligny. Van Loggerenberg ordered that the photographs of the two accused not be published because an identity parade was still to be conducted.

A new magistrate will preside when the two bring their bail application on May 9.

Meintjies said he found “a mountain” of stones in front of his cash loan business on Tuesday. “It was like a war.” His shop is opposite a bottle store which was looted.

Most of the shops on Voortrekker Street had their windows broken and were not open for business.

“The glass guy will only be here on Tuesday next week; until then we have to wait,” said Meintjies, estimating damages to his shop to be over R25 000. “The insurance does not cover for this.”

The situation was calm yesterday, although the two accused were taken out of the court building by a different gate to avoid a raging crowd that had gathered. – ANA

‘This is the first

time this kind of a protest occurred in this town. People used to toyi-toyi

peacefully.’