Marikana women hold peaceful protest

2012-09-29 22:43

A police officer arrests a miner in the North West. (Aexander Joe, AFP)

Mahikeng - Marikana women held a peaceful protest on Saturday following a decision by the North West High Court allowing them to protest.

"We, the women of Marikana, have won a decisive victory against the Rustenburg and Madibeng Municipalities, which have twice banned our planned peaceful march against the Marikana police station," the Wonderkop Community Women's Association (WCWA) said in a statement.

The women held their protest on Saturday afternoon.

They intended to protest police violence in their communities, which they said had led to the death or injury of several people.

"We feel unsafe and scared in our communities and this is because of the police, who have behaved like criminals," the WCWA said.

The women said they had first attempted to march on September 22 but were prohibited by the Madibeng municipality.

They then gave notice that they would march on September 29 but were again denied.

The WCWA accused the Rustenburg and Madibeng municipalities, as well as local police, of conspiring to prohibit their march.

"We had followed all legal requirements of the Gatherings Act, and had made every effort to co-operate with the authorities, but confronted bureaucratic confusion, obstruction and unlawful conduct by officials," the WCWA said.

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- SAPA