BREAKING NEWS – Police clamp down on protesters across Limpopo

A total of 20 suspects were arrested following a series of violent protests reported in various parts of Limpopo since the beginning of the week.
Provincial Police Spokesperson Moatshe Ngoepe indicated that the suspects, aged between 18 and 42, were arrested on Tuesday and Wednesday respectively and face charges ranging from public violence, intimidation and common robbery to assault and malicious damage to property.
In the latest incident in Giyani 12 suspects were arrested for public violence and malicious damage to property during an uproar by community members of Khakhala, Gawula, Mahlathi and Hlomela villages since Tuesday.
Seven of the 12 arrested suspects already appeared briefly before the Giyani Magistrate’s Court and were released on warning. They will appear in court again on 6 August. They were identified as Gift Kubayi, Wisdom Nkuna, Bamuza Chauke, Mabuza Chauke, Stranger Baloyi, Mheho Makhubele and a minor boy (18). The remaining five suspects are expected to appear later.
These arrests follow an incident where residents went on the rampage and barricaded the R81 road between Giyani and Malamulele with heaps of sand. When Police arrived the road was cleared only for community members to continue with their modus operandi on a road between Giyani and Thomo, Ngoepe informed.
Police also arrested six suspects, aged between 21 and 25, for public violence, intimidation and common robbery following incidents of violent protests during which the D3110 outside Lephalale was barricaded with private vehicles and the R572 barricaded with stones. Ngoepe said protesters allegedly also forced a bus driver to hand them the keys in order to use the bus to barricade the road. Several vehicles were damaged during the process.
Meanwhile, in the Northam policing area two suspects aged 26 and 31 were arrested for malicious damage to property and public violence.
Ngoepe indicated that the arrests were made after five trucks were hijacked, two of them and an ambulance subsequently torched and seven people assaulted by a group of protesters along the road between Northam and Brits.
Ngoepe said the Public Order Policing Unit remains on standby in affected areas to monitor the situation.

Story: RC Myburgh
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