Photo: Twitter
Photo: Twitter
Things have turned incredibly sour up in Lichtenburg after protest action devolved into chaos over the past 24 hours. Local law enforcement bodies have asked all citizens in North West to comply with alternate traffic directives, in a bid to avoid the violent scenes that are erupting in this part of the province.
14/08/2020
— RIOT & ATTACK info South Africa (@RiotAndAttackSA) August 14, 2020
Lichtenburg NW.#RIOTS
3 Trucks torched on the Ottosdal Road, Biesiesvlei Road, and Eerste Street.
Protest is linked to unhappiness among some community members, who accuse the municipal mayor and manager of fraud and corruption, amongst others
Lichtenburg protests: What has enraged the locals in North West?
Locals have been vocalising their concerns about corruption in the local mayor’s office, and an alleged rise in foreign-owned businesses replacing the domestic contingent has also disturbed the waters of discontent.
However, three separate trucks were set alight in the region on Thursday, prompting police to urgently intervene. Ottosdal Road, Biesiesvlei Road and Eeste Street have all been targeted by the angry mob:
#sapsNW #SAPS POP Unit monitoring the situation in Lichtenburg where 3 trucks were torched today. The trucks were allegedly torched on Ottosdal road, Biesiesvlei road and Eerste straat by an unconfirmed number of members of the community. #ProtestAction #PoliceVisibility ME pic.twitter.com/aR1KIn2Pho
— SA Police Service ?? (@SAPoliceService) August 13, 2020
Watch: Nails left in the road as drivers duped
People are being advised to avoid Lichtenburg if possible, while the police attempt to restore law and order in the North West town. Demonstrations continued throughout the night and, during the early hours of Friday, their fury was expressed even further. Some members of the community had dumped a load of nails on a major route towards Lichtenburg, and a number of vehicles encountered punctures as they carried on driving:
Road between Koster and Lictenburg North West: Nails on the road… pic.twitter.com/NoNf6IdITM
— Yusuf Abramjee (@Abramjee) August 14, 2020
