North West schools to re-open says Premier

Thandi Modise is confident pupils in the troubled North West regions will return to school from today after peace was restored over the weekend. Image: NWPG

"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." said Modise.

"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," she added.

"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," Modise told over about a thousand residents of Bodibe village and Itsoseng, who had gathered at Itsoseng Stadium.

She said the involvement of a core of political leaders, who allegedly co-ordinating and instigated the violennce in three areas was worrisome. The areas include Khunotsoane outside Zeerust and Wolmaranstadt.

"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, or for the lives lost and properties destroyed, will have to face the full might of the law," Modise said.

Responding to issues raised by residents, the premier agreed 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 the supply of water using tankers across all municipalities in the province and will also uproot corruption related to water provision.

Torching incident

The premier 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 no way of solving whatever concerns the community might have," she said.

She reiterated her call for communities not to be misled or fooled into participating 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.

Recounting events Brigadier Thulane Ngubane said a group of people gathered next to the tribal office at around 19:15pm on Friday (11 April), and set fire to 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 others proceeded to the councillor's yard and burned the two-roomed house and broke windows of her newly build house," Ngubane said.

Upon arrival of the police, some community members threw stones at the police and also at the shop of a Bangladeshi national.

Three people were arrested and police are confident that more arrests will be made.