'Behave or we will ban marches'
2007-08-18 21:07
Johannesburg - Police and the Merafong municipality should only allow anti-North West Khutsong protest marches under "very stringent conditions", North West Transport MEC Phenye Vilakazi has urged.
The MEC met police on Friday and was reacting to their concerns that "almost all marches" in the area ended in public violence, damage to property and other crime.
"Whilst we recognise and fully support the right of protesters to march, we cannot tolerate lawlessness. We have a responsibility as government to strike a balance between their rights as protesters and those of non-protesters," he said in a statement.
The MEC visited three police stations in the Merafong municipal area in the North West on Friday.
Government would "consider making it very difficult for protesters to march" if marches continued to be characterised by violence and the trampling of other people's rights.
Vilakazi expressed satisfaction with the Khutsong police but added: "Of course there are officers who are not prepared to work and they must leave the service.
"You need to communicate your work because the impression created by some media organisations is that you are not doing your work in this area."
- SAPA