Speaker silenced by mob

According to Hoorzuk, her meeting with the Thalane community was about service delivery matters such as water, electricity, housing and other developments needed at the settlement.

Hoorzuk said before the commencing of the meeting, a group of people arrived and resorted in calling her names, referring to her as a crook.

“As they were shouting abusive language, swearing at Cllr Rasidile and I, their interruption broke into a riot and that is when they started pushing me around and that is where I sustained an injury to my back” she said.

She told Mirror that because there are poor people at Thalane who deserve to get RDP houses, the Buys Management Committee said that they don’t want to see the RDP houses in their farm area. Hoorzuk said that the disruption of the meeting over the weekend was a strategy to make people turn against her and the ward councillor.

“These people, they don’t want the elected steering commitee to exist. They want the Buys Management Committee to control everything,” she said.

She added that what happened on Sunday is a clear indication that the Buys Management Committee is not yet prepared to involve itself with the Thalane Community. Cllr Rasidile confirmed that their meeting was dis-rupted, adding that the involvement of the police resulted in the situation being calmed.

Cllr Rasidile said that the speaker has opened a case of crimen injuria and assault against the group members who disrupted the meeting.

“I can say that my back was injured, but I am recovering,” said the Speaker.

When contacted to comment on behalf of the members of the Buysdorp Management Committee, a member who was implicated in the matter, said that he did not want to comment as the issue has been already brought to the attention of the police.

“Sorry I can’t talk about this, but we didn’t go there to disrupt the meeting, but to witness what was actually taking place” he said.

Hoorzuk told Mirror that three members of the Buysdorp Committee were arrested by the po-lice on Tuesday.

News - Date: 17 June 2005

Nthambeleni Gabara

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