Home Senekal protests: Cele wants farmers arrested, Malema hints at ‘showdown’

Senekal protests: Cele wants farmers arrested, Malema hints at ‘showdown’

Police Minister Bheki Cele has joined Julius Malema in condemning the scenes of violence that erupted in a Senekal courtroom on Tuesday. Utter chaos ensued in the Free State town when a group of protesters, largely made up of farmers, tried to storm the cells of two suspected killers. They were unsuccessful, but the irate demonstrations continued outside.

Senekal protests – how things got out of hand rapidly

Footage of the shocking incident shows protesters rocking police cars onto their sides, with a number of ‘armed’ civilians also taking part in the destruction. Here’s how the bedlam unfolded:

  • The demonstration by a group of farmers outside the Senekal Magistrates Court resulted in arson and vandalism.
  • Two suspects appeared in court on Tuesday 6 October, for the brutal killing of 21-year-old farm manager Brendin Horner.
  • Around 100 protesters, among them armed farmers, stormed into the court demanding the suspects be handed over.
  • Court property was damaged and a police vehicle was set alight. Police used teargas to disperse the group.

Bheki Cele demands arrest of protesting farmers

Bheki Cele, however, won’t be taking this one lying down. He has rallied for the arrest of those involved in the Senekal protests, slamming the ‘lawlessness’ on display. The minister said he was baffled by the ‘anti-police sentiment’, too.

“While we all condemn the gruesome killing of this young man in Paul Roux, absolutely no one has the right to take the law into their own hands – no matter what the situation is. This type of lawlessness can’t be justified nor taken lightly. Such criminal behaviour will never be tolerated. Police must act swiftly and arrest those responsible.”

“There is no logic when these protestors burn a police van, which is the same resource that is meant to assist them. It is also baffling why the anger of this community is being directed towards the police, when arrests have been made by the police and the suspects are before the courts.”

Bheki Cele

Justice Minister Ronald Lamola also stuck the boot in on the ‘unruly’ group:

Senekal protests: Julius Malema takes a second bite

Meanwhile, Julius Malema has been stirring the pot. The EFF leader complained yesterday that white protesters were being treated ‘lightly’ in comparison to black protesters. On Wednesday morning, Juju told his three million Twitter followers to gather at the next hearing in Senekal – scheduled for Friday 16 October:



No comments:

Subscribe to: Post Comments ( Atom )
ads
Powered by Blogger.