19 arrested as protest action rocks Ritchie

NINETEEN people were arrested during a service delivery protest in Ritchie this week and were reportedly transported to Kimberley, as the local holding cells were unable to accommodate all of them.

SAPS Northern Cape spokesperson Sergeant Molefi Shemane said the Kimberley Public Order Police arrested the suspects on Wednesday for public violence in Ritchie.

“The arrested individuals include seven men between the ages of 25 and 44, and 12 women aged between 22 and 49. They are expected to appear in court soon. The police will continue to monitor the situation,” he said.

Meanwhile, community members claimed that they were protesting peacefully when the police fired rubber bullets, tear gas and stun grenades at them.

Taxi and bus operators also joined the protest, resulting in pupils being unable to attend school, the local clinic being closed, and residents in Ritchie and Modderrivier unable to travel to work on August 13 due to traffic disruptions on the N8 and N12.

Protesters said they were frustrated by illegal operators encroaching on their routes.

“Our taxis are being repossessed and we are struggling to survive,” they said.

Residents also voiced dissatisfaction over what they called a skewed distribution of electricity services in informal settlements, including Rietvale and Pelindaba/Motswedimosa.

“We were relocated so that water, electricity and sanitation services could be installed, but other people were brought onto our land, and we have been waiting for several years for basic services. Rietvale was given a bigger allocation than the other areas,” the residents said.

Ward 26 councillor Clifford Mokwang attributed the grievances to “misinformation”.

“No one was brought onto the land. Eskom made an assessment of the 700 units (350 units per ward) that were earmarked for electricity installation and discovered that there was not enough space. It was decided to install 450 stands in Rietvale as it could accommodate more sites and 250 units in Motswedimosa.” 

He added that a substation had been built to supply electricity to both areas.

“More households will be provided with electricity during the second phase. The community became frustrated when a meeting that was supposed to take place with Eskom on August 12 was cancelled. They refused to give an audience to myself or Sol Plaatje municipal officials from the electrical department who tried to explain the situation. Now they are demanding that the Premier should address them. The goalposts keep on being shifted.” 

Department of Transport, Safety and Liaison spokesperson Rennie Andrias said MEC Limakatso Koloi maintained an open-door policy to address concerns raised by any member of the public.

“The head of department has held regular engagements with all taxi associations to address matters of mutual concern in and around Kimberley,” he said.

Andrias encouraged anyone with evidence of maladministration or corruption to report it to the relevant authorities.

“We do not condone or hide wrongdoing by any of our employees. The department is always willing to assist. The public protest is regrettable,” he added.