Unrest and Arrests in Kimberley Amid Protest
Seven individuals, including a minor, were arrested on Monday, July 14, following incidents of public violence associated with a shutdown protest in Kimberley. The protests were aimed at drawing attention to various issues, including poor service delivery, rising electricity tariffs, crumbling infrastructure, and calls for the resignation of Sol Plaatje Municipality Speaker Dipuo Peters.
The arrests occurred near Greenpoint along the N8 national road, where tyres were set alight, causing traffic disruptions early in the morning. Members of the Kimberley Public Order Police unit were deployed to prevent the unrest from spreading and to ensure the safety of motorists and residents in the area. Law enforcement officials remained on the ground, monitoring what was described as a volatile situation.
Motorists traveling in and around Kimberley were advised to proceed with caution and use alternative routes where possible. Despite the initial disruptions, by 10:30 am, most areas of the city had returned to normal.
The protest, which was intended to highlight several grievances, began later than planned. A group of approximately 70 protesters set off from the Kemo Hotel in Square Hill Park at around 10 am. Their goal was to converge at Trim Park before heading to the Northern Cape Premier’s Office to present a memorandum of their grievances.
Originally, the plan was for protesters to assemble at 5:30 am in multiple locations across Kimberley, including Roodepan, Galeshewe, Homevale, Homelite, Colville, Floors, Mogul Park, and Greenpoint. In addition to Greenpoint, there were scattered disruptions reported in Galeshewe, where tyres were burnt on Seochwareng Street. Some residents reportedly faced difficulty accessing the city due to blocked roads.
Several traffic disruptions were anticipated in and around Kimberley; however, by 10:30 am, the city appeared to be largely back to normal. Last week, multiple groups indicated their intention to participate in the protest. These included taxi operators, Ward 18 residents who had previously protested outside the Sol Plaatje Municipality over housing issues, Homelite residents affected by ongoing power outages, water meter installers unhappy about payment tariffs, and the Central Northern Cape Business Forum.
Boyce Makodi, an organizer with the Kimberley Action Group (KAG), consistently emphasized that the demonstration would remain peaceful and would be monitored by peace officers. Colonel Cherelle Ehlers, a spokesperson for the Northern Cape police, urged the public to avoid spreading unverified information on social media. She stressed that official updates would be provided through the South African Police Service (SAPS) formal communication platforms.
