Stability summit addresses killings, protests

Premier Stan Mathabatha has warned communities that continue to vandalise public property during action protests that the provincial government would stop fixing such damage for residents to suffer the consequences.
He was addressing safety stakeholders at the first Provincial Stability Summit hosted by the Department of Transport and Community Safety at Protea Hotel Ranch Resort last Thursday.
Mathabatha stressed that officials can’t keep on running to various communities because people are destroying public properties and warned that this should come to an end. He further emphasised that government departments should at times stop fixing damages caused by protesters for them to suffer the consequences.
“The issue of shut-downs is becoming the norm across the province and this is sometimes caused by narrow and selfish political interests. When we build roads, clinics and schools we are not doing it for the provincial government but for the people. Residents should learn to raise issues peacefully rather than closing roads and burning public property,” he stressed.
Mathabatha reiterated that peace and stability during the election season was a non-negotiable imperative. Without peace and stability, democracy will be undermined and anarchy will take over, he added.
He went on to highlight that there were concerns that some levels of instability in the province would threaten the realisation of free and fair elections. Part of the issues that concern the provincial government was the mushrooming of the so-called shut-downs, he explained and cautioned that they don’t want any area in Limpopo to be considered a no-go area.
Transport and Community Safety MEC Makoma Makhurupetje informed Polokwane Observer that the summit, the first of its kind, was perpetuated by the recent killings in the province. She added that the summit was a platform for safety stakeholders to try and find ways to resolve issues relating to poor service delivery and criminal activities among others.
“We are worried because the phenomenon of killing has never happened before. Young people are using nyaope, drugs and other harmful substances and this is worrying. Our schools have turned into areas of criminal elements hence we are going to have a commission to look into criminal acts in schools,” Makhurupetje said. She went on to outline that municipalities would also host such gatherings at the district levels to analyse and come up with solutions to societal issues experienced in their respective communities.

Story and photos: ENDY SENYATSI
>>endy@observer.co.za