Galeshewe hit by protests
GALESHEWE woke up to two protests on Monday morning.
Residents of Phomolong shacks and Phutanang took to the streets early in the morning in two separate protests, blocking major roads in the area. The demonstrations were sparked by the recent blocking of electricity by Sol Plaatje Municipality.
The R31 road near Phutanang and John Daka Road in Galeshewe were barricaded with burning tyres, rocks and rubble as residents split into two groups to blockade the streets starting at 5am. Stranded motorists faced long delays on the R31, while others sought alternative routes to reach their destinations.
The protesters demanded that Sol Plaatje executive mayor Kagisho Sonyoni address their grievances in person. The situation escalated when police intervened, dispersing the crowds with rubber bullets and arresting several individuals for public violence.
Amid the protests, large parts of Galeshewe experienced an electricity blackout. The Sol Plaatje Municipality confirmed that the outage was caused by a blown transformer, though there were suspicions of sabotage.
As Sonyoni engaged with the protesters, EPWP workers cleared the roads and the municipality’s electrical team worked to restore power to the affected areas.
Municipal spokesperson Thabo Mothibi said that the Kutlwanong sub-station had to be isolated to restore power to other areas.
“The Sol Plaatje Municipality’s Electrical Department has restored power supply to large parts of Galeshewe amid this morning’s widespread blackout,” Mothibi explained. “An inspection has to be undertaken to determine the source of the power outages, as Club 2000, Soul City and a portion of Donkerhoek remain offline.”
Mayoral spokesperson Keobakile Musunse confirmed that the mayor encouraged the protesters to visit the municipality to make arrangements for their overdue accounts.
She added that the protesters also demanded the release of their arrested comrades.
“It was also agreed that a task team would be set up, which will include community members, to meet with the mayor on a weekly basis to confront outstanding issues that the community faces,” said Musunse.
Police spokesperson Colonel Cherelle Ehlers reported that around 300 disgruntled residents blocked the R31 near Phutanang at approximately 8am.
Ehlers added that five individuals were arrested for public violence when the Kimberley Public Order Police dispersed the crowd and reopened the road.
“Motorists are urged to exercise caution due to broken bottles and glass on the road. The Kimberley Public Order Police will continue to monitor the situation,” Ehlers advised.
