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Scenes of violence, looting and community division in Coligny and Lichtenburg, in the last 24 hours, highlight the need for a far greater SAPS response to prevent violent protests before they escalate.

The DA calls for calm in these areas. Violence has never, and will never, solve the serious problems we face.

It is the responsibility of the South African Police Service to police violent protests, and to stop threats of violence from materialising, but in this case there has clearly been a failure by the SAPS.

The DA has learnt that the SAPS has still not mobilised standby and auxiliary SAPS members in the Lichtenburg area, and the only officers initially sent into the Coligny violence were local Coligny SAPS members, who were later backed up by no more than six public order police and one nyala. This is a major failure by the SAPS, and the escalation to public order policing was not fast enough.

Where serious allegations exist in Coligny that a young resident was killed after falling off the back of a vehicle, we expect the SAPS to swiftly investigate and to make all the necessary arrests. It is our understanding that two people have handed themselves over to the Police for this death.

Where any community rises up in anger, burns houses and loots, the SAPS must act immediately to quell the violence through commensurate public order measures, and they must apprehend those responsible.

Our nation is built on the rule of law, and it is up to the SAPS to maintain public safety and security. It is not the role of any other persons to do so, but in the vacuum created by the SAPS it appears that vigilante acts are taking place– no private citizen can be allowed to effect police functions. This must be condemned. The DA also strongly condemns the acts of vandalism of properties and the looting of businesses. These are preventable acts that the SAPS has failed to prevent.

In Lichtenburg, residents have taken to the streets demanding access to water, electricity, roads and jobs, as the Ditsobotla Municipality continues to deliver the most shockingly poor services.

Most towns have no water supply, or have permanently irregular water. Sewage leaks and broken infrastructure issues go unrepaired indefinitely. The Ditsobotla Municipal Manager permanent post has been vacant for most of the last five-year term, and the CFO has been suspended for the past 12 months. It is understandable that these communities have very serious service delivery gripes.

The DA calls on the affected communities to put down their weapons. And we call on protestors to stop destruction, and to stop the looting. We must come together to solve our problems.

The DA will continue to be on the ground in these communities today, and going forward, and will continue to engage with all communities in this volatile area.

Issued by DA North West