Hundreds of singing protesters from Khutsong and other areas around Carletonville gathered at the township’s stadium on Friday morning to march to the local police station.
Their mission was to present a memorandum on the latest events related to protests over provincial demarcation.
Anger erupted last week in Khutsong over proposals to incorporate the Merafong municipality into North West. It is at present part of Gauteng.
South African Communist Party secretary Vishwas Sasga said the Khutsong community wanted to apologise to the country for last week’s violence.
Residents would also call for more face-to-face consultation on demarcation issues.
”The community is aware of the legislative process, but they want more face-to-face consultation.”
Sasga said last week’s violence was more the work of individuals than of the whole community.
At the stadium, local clerics were among those lined up to address people.
Banners of the SACP, the Pan Africanist Congress and the National Union of Mineworkers adorned the stadium’s grandstand.
Sasga said the organisers included the Young Communist League.
Officials in khaki uniforms bearing African National Congress colours were also present.
Cars had written on their windscreens ”NW se voet [down with North West]”, ”No GP [Gauteng province], no vote” and ”Viva Gauteng”.
Outside the stadium, residents wandered in the direction of the rally, passing burnt cars and cement slabs strewn along the roadside — remnants of last week’s violent protests.
There was a heavy police presence all the way from Carletonville to the isolated township.
Singing at the local stadium ended with the lyrics of Die Stem, part of the current national anthem, although no speeches were delivered in Afrikaans. — Sapa