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A road has been barricaded with rocks and burning tyres during a service delivery protest.
Police say that a protest in Ikageng township near Potchefstroom in the North West will not disrupt the 2025 National Youth Day commemoration today.
This after residents used stones to barricade roads in the township.
They are demanding an improvement in the delivery of basic services such as water and sanitation.
This comes before Deputy President Paul Mashatile delivers the keynote at the commemoration at the North West University.
Acting provincial Police Commissioner Patrick Asaneng says, “The group apparently are complaining about not being employed in the EPWP project. The police had to quickly attend to the situation, and as a result, those who were barricading the road were successfully chased away. The police are on site as we speak to make sure that they don’t regroup and they do not disturb other road users.”
Police are clearing some of the roads in Ikageng township.
Youth Day 2025 | Ikageng residents barricade roads ahead of today’s celebrations:
Meanwhile, some youth in Ikageng township say they will not attend the 2025 National Youth Day commemoration at the University of the North West today.
These young people are complaining about the high unemployment rate, saying today’s event will not change the status quo.
One young person says, “For us to attend this, it’s also resulting in matters not being resolved anytime soon. So, whether we attend or we don’t attend, it’s all the same, I don’t want to lie.”
Another says, “I don’t think they bring any change because now we get to listen to what they promise us. But we never get the opportunities that they say they are going to give us. You understand, now we are dealing with more bribery wherever we go. And some of us are unprivileged.”
Youth Day 2025 | Youth lament lack of employment in North West:
