Five arrested as municipal building near Kimberley torched

Police have arrested five suspects – three men and two women – in connection with public violence which erupted in Ritchie, a town approximately 40km from Kimberley in the Northern Cape on Monday.

Public violence erupted as members of the community protested against poor service delivery in the area.

The five suspects were arrested following the torching of a municipality building, according to police spokesperson Brigadier Mohale Ramatseba.

The provincial commissioner in the Northern Cape, Lieutenant General Risimati Peter Shivuri, has appealed for calm and urged the community to resolve their concerns around the table without resorting to violence and damage to property.

Anyone with credible information about the burning of the municipal building is urged to contact Captain Deon Rheeder of the Rietvale SAPS at 082 469 0193. All information will be treated as confidential, Ramatseba said.

The suspects are expected to appear before the local magistrate’s court soon pending further police investigations.

Ramatseba said that members of the Public Order Police were monitoring the situation.

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