Up in smoke: Play honouring struggle heroes falls victim to Mahikeng violence

20 April 2018 - 11:32 By Aphiwe Deklerk
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A cultural centre in Mahikeng has burnt down amid violent protests targeting Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

Seipone Nkwadipo woke up to a horrible sight on Friday morning‚ when she discovered that the Mmabana Arts Centre in Mahikeng has burnt down.

Nkwadipo is a producer of a play called Once a Woman‚ which had been running at the centre for two days before it was interrupted by the violent protests aimed at getting rid of North West Premier Supra Mahumapelo.

Nkwadipo arrived at the building‚ which was still partly on fire and filled with smoke‚ to discover that equipment and costumes for her play had been looted‚ damaged and burnt in the mayhem.

Her play was about honouring women who took part in the struggle for emancipation in South Africa.

“It’s about Mama Albertina Sisulu because this year is her centenary. Then again‚ it’s about the Freedom Month... [it is also] in reference to those women [who took part in the 1956 pass march]‚” she said.

The centre was just one of the properties that suffered. Outside the centre‚ two cars were gutted after they too were set alight.

When TimesLIVE arrived on the scene on Friday morning‚ the fire brigade was still putting out the last of the flames.

North West police spokesperson Sabata Mokgwabone said no one had been arrested for the specific incident but police were still investigating. He said the incident happened late on Thursday.

Mokgwabone said police had arrested seven more suspects in relation to other offences on Thursday‚ bringing the total number of arrests to 23 since the eruption of the protests.

“They were allegedly found looting from a hardware store‚” he said.

He said two cars and a guard house had been torched at the departments of public works and education.

“We also experienced sporadic looting of shops owned by foreign nationals‚” he said.

Mokgwabone said the situation was calmer on Friday morning after police had brought in reinforcements.


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