Wat gaan aan in Noordwes provinsie?

[Rooi Jan]

Daar is baie brokkies nuus hier op die plaaswerf oor onluste in Noordwes. Al wat ek in die media kry is die volgende. Wat mis ek?

Pilanesberg hit by raging fires
Johannesburg, South Africa
22 March 2007 06:27
About 250 000ha of bush have been razed by fires that have been burning in the Pilanesberg area of the North West for the past six days, Working on Fire (WOF) said on Thursday.

More than 120 local farmers, farm workers and residents and eight fire engines from nearby towns were fighting the fire, said WOF's Evelyn John Holtzhausen.

Teams of wild-fire fighters from Gauteng, trained by WOF, had been called to help. WOF had dispatched a spotter aircraft to direct fire fighters from the air. A command centre would also be set up to coordinate fire-fighting teams in the area.

Sixteen young elephants were burnt in a veld fire that swept through the Pilanesberg National Park in September 2005. Four elephants had to be put down because of the severity of their injuries. About 6 000ha were destroyed in that fire.

WOF is a government job-creation programme that trains and deploys wild-fire fighters nationally. -- Sapa
http://www.mg.co.za/articlePage.aspx...ews__national/

Ja, volgens die veldgidse het so 60-70% van die park afgebrand. Kan nie sien dat dit op die stadium in die groter prentjie pas nie.

[Judith de Beer]

Originally Posted by Rooi Jan

Daar is baie brokkies nuus hier op die plaaswerf oor onluste in Noordwes. Al wat ek in die media kry is die volgende. Wat mis ek?

Die media plaas slegs dit wat die regering hulle toelaat om te plaas. Daar was Donderdag erg moleste in Mafekeng, klippe is in die paaie gesit, bande is aan die brand gesteek en motervoertuie is onder klippe gesteek. Dienslewering is weer as Sondebok gebruik om hierdie dade te regverdig. Die polisie was sterk verteenwoordig. Dieselfde gebeure het onlangs in omliggende dorpe soos Lichtenburg en Bakerville plaas gevind. Veld brande en rook is gereeld in hierdie omgewing te sien.

Originally Posted by Judith de Beer

Die media plaas slegs dit wat die regering hulle toelaat om te plaas.

Klink soos 'n komplot mmmm
Wat het geword van Freedom of Speech ?

Jan

[Rooi Jan]

Originally Posted by Airfilter

Ja, volgens die veldgidse het so 60-70% van die park afgebrand. Kan nie sien dat dit op die stadium in die groter prentjie pas nie.

Dalk is die brand met voorbedagte rade gestig. Dis ongelukkig baie moeilik om sulke dinge vas te stel. Die media sal waarskynlik nie berig oor bewyse van brandstigting nie.

[barneyb]

KYK om jou rond, Siener het gese als wat groen is sal swart word dan weer groen en dan droog dan sal ons moeilikheid begin,

Hele Vrystaat noord van Bloemfontein swart gebrand Noordwes en dele van Gauteng na die mooi reeentjie van die naweek ons sal sien, ek verbeel my Johanna het gepraat van branders wat dreun voor die oorweldiging Durban ????

ek dog ek gooi maar n klip in die bos na my banning.

[Rooi Jan]

Originally Posted by barneyb

ek verbeel my Johanna het gepraat van branders wat dreun voor die oorweldiging Durban ?

Ek sal weer na my boek oor Siener gaan kyk. As jy inligting het oor Johanna Brandt en Durban se branders plaas dit gerus.

March 23, 2007, 06:00

Violent protests continue to plague parts of the North West province. In the latest incident, residents of Signal Hill just outside Mafikeng, went on the rampage last night, burning tyres and stoning the vehicles of passing motorists.

Police raced to the scene, firing rubber bullets to disperse the large crowd.

Three people were seriously injured and hospitalised, while an undisclosed number of protestors were arrested. Residents are demanding the resignation of a local councillor, whom they accuse of incompetence which has led to poor service delivery in the area.


http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa...145914,00.html

[Rooi Jan]

Dankie vir daai een Boervrou. Hier is nog van His Master's Voice:

Eight arrested for violent protests in North West
March 24, 2007, 10:30

North West police has confirmed that the number of people people arrested in connection with the recent violent protest at Signall Hill near Mafikeng has risen to eight.

Job Mothibi, a police spokesperson, says the situation got out of hand on Thursday when protesters blockaded the main street, burning tyres and stoning passing cars with stones.

Police used rubber bullets to disperse the protesters, who were accusing the local municipality of lack of service delivery. Four people including a police officer were admitted to the local hospital with injuries.

The suspects are expected to appear in the Mafikeng Magistrate's court on Monday to face charges of public violence and malicious damage to property.
http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa...146008,00.html

[Rooi Jan]

Wys jou net - die SABC berig oor die goed wat die koerante oor stilbly.

Chain store burns to the ground in North West
March 23, 2007, 20:00

A cigarette butt has caused a paraffin truck and a chain store to go up in flames at Lethabong township near Rustenburg in the North West.

Police estimate the resultant damage at R2.5 million.

A pedestrian threw a burning cigarette butt away close to the paraffin truck, which burst into flames next to the store. The flames spread to the store as well as residential property nearby. Everything in the store was burnt to ashes. No-one was injured.

A case of arson has been opened.
http://www.sabcnews.com/south_africa...145973,00.html

Civic organisation condemns violent North West protests

Johannesburg, South Africa



28 February 2007 12:33

The South African National Civic Organisation (Sanco) on Wednesday condemned the violent protests by angry North West residents over poor service delivery.

Although Sanco has been behind some of the protests, the organisation's provincial secretary, Gabriel Nkgweng, said the organisation did not condone the violent nature that had characterised some of the protests.

"We strongly condemn any violence. As an organisation we are for peaceful demonstrations, which will help highlight the plight of the people."

Nkgweng said the widespread protests had been caused by the municipalities' failure to keep the public informed about service delivery in the area.

"There is a poor communication between the local municipalities and the community regarding issues that have to do with development in the area.

"The municipalities do not want to meet the communities to discuss these issues. This has left the communities feeling isolated, which has led to the unrest," said Nkgweng.

He said Sanco had decided to support the protests in an effort to ensure that the government engaged with the communities to solve the ongoing problems surrounding poor service delivery.

The protests, which began last Thursday, have seen 119 protesters arrested.

Eighty protesters were arrested on Tuesday in Boikhutso near Lichtenburg and in Boitumelong township in Bloemhof.

Police spokesperson Superintendent Louis Jacobs said on Wednesday that the arrests in Boikhutso came after protesters looted and damaged foreigners' shops.

"The protests initially started due to people complaining about poor service delivery. They are now attacking and damaging shops belonging to foreigners -- as to how the two [are linked], I don't know," said Jacobs.

A substation was also damaged during the protests, leaving the area without electricity overnight.

Jacobs said Eskom would fix the substation on Wednesday.

Those arrested would be charged with public violence, house breaking, theft and malicious damage to property. Depending on investigations, charges such as arson and robbery could also be added.

The 20 protesters arrested in Lichtenburg are expected to appear in the town's magistrate's court on Thursday.

In Boitumelong, the protesters disrupted traffic on the N12 by staging a sit in and blockading the road, demanding that municipality management listen to their grievances about lack of service delivery in the town.

The 60 arrested there were expected to appear at the Bloemhof Magistrate's Court later on Wednesday.

Another 30 who had been arrested in the area last week were released on bail on Tuesday.

Nine people were also expected to appear at the Zeerust Magistrate's Court for public violence following a service delivery protest in the area last week.

Last Thursday, schools and transport were disrupted by protests in Ikageleng near Zeerust. On Friday night protesters from Boitumelong township outside Bloemhof looted shops belonging to foreigners and threw stones at the police during their protests.

On the weekend Itumeleng Lethoko, the mayor of Ditsobotla municipality under which Boikhutso falls, was taken away from the area under police guard to protect her from angry residents.

The office of the North West premier refused to comment on Wednesday and referred to a statement released earlier in which they acknowledged that there had been inadequate communication with the community.

"In some instances members of the community do not know the progress the municipality is making with regard to the delivery of services. To address this we are focusing on strengthening the capacity of municipalities and departments to communicate effectively with the public," the statement read.

"Accordingly, the government appeals to all people to take advantage of all the available democratic platforms, such as imbizo and ward meetings, to express their views and influence the content, pace and quality of service delivery."

Premier Edna Molewa's spokesperson, Cornelius Monama, said police would continue to act firmly against any form of lawlessness, damage to property and any threat to human life.

These protests come barely a week after Molewa said in her state of the province address that the province was doing its best to ensure service delivery. -- Sapa

http://www.mg.co.za/articlepage.aspx...ticleid=300519

Arrests made as Mafikeng protest erupts

March 23 2007 at 11:50AM

Four people were arrested following violent protests in Lonely Park Village in Mafikeng, North West police said on Friday.

Captain Job Mothibi said residents took to the streets on Thursday, blocking roads and damaging police vehicles.

"They told us they were protesting against a local councillor they want removed from office."

On Friday morning, police were in the village monitoring a group of about a hundred residents who were chanting slogans and blowing vuvuzelas, he said.

"The situation has normalised but the officers will remain in the area."

Spokesperson for the Mafikeng local government and housing department, Mandla Mathebula said they had arranged to meet with residents on Sunday.


"We really do not know why they are protesting because it definitely can't be service delivery... their village is among the best developed in the country."

He said executive mayor Themba Kwabeni would address residents on Sunday afternoon.

The four arrested people are expected to appear on Monday in the Mmabatho magistrate's court on charges of public violence. - Sapa

http://www.iol.co.za/index.php?set_i...0528682C426911

Originally Posted by Rooi Jan

Dalk is die brand met voorbedagte rade gestig. Dis ongelukkig baie moeilik om sulke dinge vas te stel. Die media sal waarskynlik nie berig oor bewyse van brandstigting nie.

Ek het Woensdag met die park bestuurder gepraat oor die foon. Net informeel, so moet dit nie in die koerant aanhaal. Hulle was nog wild besig om die brande onder beheer te kry, so nog geen ondersoekke. Hy het 2 moontlikhede gegee. Die een is weens weerlig en dan ook vure wat van die plakkerskampe na die park verspry het. Ek sal weer Maandag met hom gesels en hoor of hulle al enigiets kon bevestig. As dit van die kampe af is sal dit moeilik wees om motiewe te kry daarvoor. ???