Protest march planned over Coligny acquittals
Angry residents say skin colour determines justice
The acquittal of two men initially convicted of killing Coligny teenager Matlhomola Mosweu has divided opinion and re-ignited anger in the streets of the sleepy farming town in the North West.
Yesterday a group of ANC Youth League (ANCYL) members gathered in protest outside the Coligny magistrate’s court to register their displeasure over the acquittal of Pieter Doorwaard and Phillip Schutte by the Supreme Court of Appeal (SCA).
The SCA found that the state had failed to present a watertight case that would warrant sending them to jail for the murder of Matlhomola and therefore overturned the decision of the North West High Court in Mahikeng to sentence them to 18 years and 23 years’ imprisonment respectively.
ANCYL national spokesperson Sizophila Mkhize said the decision to overturn the conviction and sentence was based on the “skin colour” of the accused.
“When the colour of your skin is white then you have privileges. This young boy died in vain. We are upset by what has happened. We think this has set a precedent and this must not be allowed to happen,” she said.
The black community in the area was yesterday mobilising for a march tomorrow to deliver a memorandum of grievances to the court in a bid to put pressure on the National Prosecuting Authority to appeal the SCA’s ruling.
Andries Meintjies, a resident and businessman in the area, said the pair’s innocence might have been proven in court but the effects of their acquittal might be felt through violent protests.
“Nobody wants to see someone going to prison for something they didn’t do. Evenafter these boys were released on bail before Friday, you would find young men provoking them. You can see that something is not righthere and that anything can happen,” he said.
Meryke van Tonder, another resident of the town, said she had heard that a march was being planned for tomorrow, which she feared could turn violent.
My workers told me that the march might become violent because people from Scotland [informal settlement] are angry. They said we need to close our shop. We had to get burglar guards after the last time [2017 protests], so we are scared that things will get out of hand.”
In Scotland informal settlement, where Matlhomola lived, community members expressed anger at the successof theappeal by Doorwaard and Schutte.
Mcdonald Qokozana, a resident in the settlement, said he would be joining the march to the court tomorrow to plot the way forward.
“People are angry about this. They said we should march to the court but it’s going to be a protest because we are not happy. We want justice forMatlhomola’s family. The justice systemis like the government, they don’t understand our pain unless we protest,” he said.
Malebhuru Gardener, another resident in the settlement said; “It means we can die at the hands of white people and nothing will be done. We are not safe and feel that we mean nothing to the law.”
Matlhomola’s mother, Agnes, yesterday visited her son’s grave to pray that he rest in peace.
“We had to go to his grave and explain to him that things have changed and we don’t know what we are going to do,” she said.