Mookgophong residents concern over corporate image

The continued rather chaotic court appearances of a murder suspect in the Mookgophong Magistrate’s Court has led to an uneasy calm, following rising tensions last Wednesday 8 January.

Tshepo Mabuela was expected to return to court on Tuesday 31 March.

For the second court appearance running, members of the township community marched through the central business district headed for the courts, forcing many of the business outlets to close for
the first half of the day.

Residents and the business community said a letter had been circulating on the court day, that businesses should cease operations for the day.

During Mabuela’s latest court appearance, members of the Community Policing Forum, the police and other community-based groupings, succeeded in assembling the protesters, with the view that
they be escorted by the police to the courts.

Before, during and after Mabuela’s court appearance last Wednesday 8 January, members of the police had their hands full trying to calm down angry members of the community, who descended into the CBD for the court appearance.

No incidents of violence or malicious damage to property were reported.

Mookgophong police station commander, Colonel Mape Kekana, said the police continued to monitor the situation, and would not tolerate any criminal activity.

At his first court appearance on Monday 25 November last year, police confirmed damage to downtown property as a direct result of the protect action ahead of, during and after the court
proceedings.

At the time President Cyril Ramaphosa was on a whistle-stop tour of Lephalale.

The police sources had confirmed that the unrest was triggered by the stabbing to death of an unidentified male person at a local tavern.

The sporadic incidents of unrest included, among others, the blockade of the N1 between Polokwane and Pretoria.

— The BEAT