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30 May 2011

North West MEC for Human Settlements, Public Safety & Liaison, Desbo Mohono on Monday afternoon rushed to Tlokweng village near Swartruggens as part of an intervention and mediation team to address the community after a tavern owner’s house and car were set alight earlier in the day.

Mohono will join a high-powered police intervention team from the province led by Deputy Provincial Commissioner Major General William Mpembe that had been engaging community leaders and structures in a bid to mediate for restraint for villagers to give the investigations into the alleged ritual murder of Thabiso Moloi a chance. The situation was reportedly tense but relatively calm on Monday afternoon.

A rowdy crowd had earlier in the morning burned tyres and blockade the village to force residents from either leaving the village to go to work or learners from going to school.

MEC Mohono had earlier issued statements assuring residents that police will not rest until those who are responsible for Moloi’s suspected murder are behind bars and another one condemning in the strongest terms incitement of violence, acts of intimidation and unwarranted torching of a house and a car belonging to a tavern owner by an unruly mob in Tlokweng.

Mohono’s assurance that police will not rest until perpetrators of the ghastly act are brought to book and appeal to residents to allow the law to take its course and come forward with information which might assist police in their investigations follows reports of incitement of violence during and after Moloi’s burial on Saturday.

Police also reportedly had to disperse a rowdy group of youth on Sunday that was allegedly marching towards Mochacho Dibelane’s tavern. Twenty-five year-old Moloi was purportedly last seen at the joint on the night of 15 of last month before his decomposed body was discovered by villagers in a bush outside the village last week Tuesday 17 May 2011.

"Burning people’s properties and endangering their lives based on untested allegations is uncalled for and sheer criminality. Police will get to the bottom of the matter as they will not stand idle and watch misguided community members being manipulated into lawlessness by those with a nefarious agenda," says Mohono.

Enquiries:
Lesiba Moses Kgwele (Departmental Spokesperson)
Tel: 018 391 0420
Cell: 083 629 1987
E-mail: LKgwele@nwpg.gov.za

Issued by: North West Public Safety
30 May 2011

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