For the better part of 2013 Kagiso was in the news for all the wrong reasons.
Even in 2014, the township continues to be in the news for all the wrong reasons. This is giving the area a bad name and bad image.
Last week, Kagiso was on a knife-edge as violent protests were the order of the day in the area. There was heavy police presence, and some sections were no-go areas. Residents felt like strangers on their own land.
In Kagiso 1, residents protested over the mine that operates 150 metres from the area. Residents alleged that the mining operation has caused cracks in their houses, which the mine has denied vehemently.
In the area called Riverside in Kagiso 2, residents were up in arms demanding that government help them fix their roofs that were damaged by a hailstorm last year. The streets were barricaded with burning tyres and large stones.
The protests in the area almost spinned out of control. One protester was shot by police and hospitalised. Protesters allegedly attacked a nearby abattoir and also threatened employees. They helped themselves to milk and bread from delivery vans.
Police, with the help of the Red Ants, had to be deployed to calm the situation. It was not an easy task for the police to bring order to the area, but eventually they did. The protests lasted for about six days.
Community protests are a democratic right. They help enhance and strengthen our democracy. But violent protests are counter-productive and counter-revolutionary. They destroy public property and infrastructure.
Kagiso desperately needs good news. The area needs inspirational and uplifting news. It cannot be doom and gloom all the way. There must be something good happening there. And we need to hear about it.
