The Freedom of Expression Institute (FXI) condemns the police actions against residents of Moutse who were protesting outside a stadium where the Limpopo MEC was addressing an Imbizo last week Thursday on issues or road, traffic and safety. Seun Mogoshi, a leader of the residents, who boycotted the Imbizo and continue to express themselves against the area’s incorporation into Limpopo, was arrested for inciting violence. Another community leader who was also arrested was charged for “driving with Seun”. The second man was released after he argued that he has never heard of such a charge. Mogoshi has been in custody since Thursday, 31^st May 2007. He was refused bail when he appeared in court on Friday. He will appear in court again today.

The FXI views these actions are an attempt to silence the voices of ordinary people who use protest as a means of exercising their constitutional right to freedom of expression. The denial of free expression rights, arrests and victimization taking place in communities like Khutsong and Moutse are unjustifiable in the light of the Constitution. The Constitution guarantees the rights of people freely to express themselves and to protest, which is the main form of expression for poor people. Police sometimes deliberately suppress this form of expression by misusing the Regulation of Gatherings Act by imposing conditions that neither the constitution nor the Act contemplate and, sometimes, by refusing to allow the exercise of this right. The misuse of the RGA is often based on ignorance on the part of local authorities and police and result in a direct denial of Constitutional rights.