Local youths muzzled in Boko Haram march

Lekopanye Mooketsi | Tuesday June 10, 2014 16:50

The organiser of the march, Thabo Tladi said that they were warned by the police not to mention anything about the Nigerian terrorist group, Boko Haram and to put away all the “Bring Back Our Girls” banners.

Tladi, a Limkokwing University of Creative Technology media studies graduate, said the group intended to make speeches in solidarity with the abducted Nigerian girls at Rail Park Mall after their walk.

“As we were on the march from Sebele Centre to Rail Park, we were waving banners reading ‘Bring Back Our Girls’,” Tladi said, adding that, “on the way, we were confronted by an official who claimed to be from the District Commissioner’s office. He ordered us to put the banners away as we did not have a permit to demonstrate”.

 Tladi said: “We complied with his order.”

He said when the youths arrived at Rail Park Mall, senior police officers who were not in uniform, ordered the group not to issue any political statements about Boko Haram or the abducted school girls.

“But on Friday, they called me and said the march could not proceed the following day.  We were told that we could not be issued with a written permit for security reasons,” he said.

Tladi said the police had initially given the group the impression that they did not have anything against the march.

“On Saturday morning I went to Sebele Shopping Centre where we were supposed to converge for the march,” he said.

“My intention was to inform other members of the group to board combis to Rail Park as the police had said they would not allow the march.

 “However, I was surprised because the police turned up and told me that they would escort us during the march.” The youngsters, who wore blue berets with badges, converged at the Rail Park Mall, and began singing and praying, having allegedly been warned not to make any ‘political speeches’.

Borakanelo Police Station Commander, Modise Gabatshwane said the youths were never issued with a permit for the march, saying the decision was based on ‘unspecified reasons’.

He said the police did not harass the group but simply alerted them on the legal requirements regarding public marches.

“If you want to demonstrate you should have a permit.   The permit has to be in writing,” he said.