Kimberley protest action begins with march to Premier’s Office over service delivery, electricity tariffs

The city-wide shutdown planned for early Monday morning, July 14, got under way around 10am, when protesters set off from the Kemo Hotel in Square Hill Park, determined to march to the Northern Cape Premier’s Office to hand over a memorandum of grievances.

The document outlines widespread frustrations, including poor service delivery, crumbling infrastructure, unaffordable electricity tariffs, and a call for Sol Plaatje Municipal Speaker Dipuo Peters to step down.

The original plan was for protesters to begin assembling at 5.30am in multiple areas across Kimberley, including Roodepan, Galeshewe, Homevale, Homelite, Colville, Floors, Mogul Park, and Greenpoint.

The group that assembled at the Kemo Hotel in Square Hill Park, comprising around 70 people, officially set off around 10am, heading toward the City’s Trim Park from where all groups would head to the Premier’s Office.

Earlier in the morning, tyres were set alight in Greenpoint, prompting a police response to prevent the unrest from spilling onto the N8 national road. Authorities remained on site to monitor the situation.

Additionally, tyres were also set alight in Seochwareng street in Galeshewe, and there are reports that some residents in Galeshewe were unable to travel into the city due to the disruptions. 

Originally, several traffic disruptions were expected in and around the city. Key affected areas would include the traffic circle near the R31, intersections along Barkly Road, John Daka, and Roodepan, access roads into Greenpoint and Beaconsfield, Nobengula Road, as well as roads leading to the Diamond Pavilion Mall and the Premier's Office.

However, by 10.30am it was largely business as usual in the city. Possibly due to the fact that all the protesters had not gathered yet.

It remains unclear how things could escalate, and long the disruptions will continue.

Last week, multiple groups signalled their intention to take part in the protest, including Taxi operators, Ward 18 residents, who protested outside the Sol Plaatje Municipality on Thursday over housing issues, Homelite residents, affected by ongoing power outages, Water meter installers, reportedly unhappy about payment tariffs, as well as the Central Northern Cape Business Forum.

Kimberley Action Group (KAG) organiser Boyce Makodi had continually confirmed that the demonstration would be peaceful and monitored by peace officers.

This is a developing story.