Khutsong

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Khutsong is a township on the West Rand of South Africa, and scene of widespread unrest since February 2006. It is situated close to the town of Carletonville [1], in the Merafong City Local Municipality of the North West Province.

[edit] Riots

Following the abolition of cross-border municipalities, the entire Merafong City Local Municipality which includes Khutsong, was transferred from the West Rand District Municipality in Gauteng Province to the Southern District Municipality in the North West Province. The residents of Khutsong objected to the transfer from wealthy Gauteng to the poorer North West. Only 123 votes were cast in the local government elections held on 1 March 2006.

Actions taken by residents included an application to the Pretoria High Court [2] and violent incidents, including petrol bombing the homes of African National Congress candidates,[3], blocking roads [4] and the destruction of municipal property.

One important element in the Khutsong issue relates to environmental security. The Khutsong community is physically located alongside some of the richest gold mines in the world. Recent research conducted by the Water Research Commission in South Africa has shown that heavy metal and radionuclide contamination is closely associated with rivers and wetlands downstream of major mining operations. The Khutsong community is located in such an aquatic ecosystem, so the environmental dimension to this conflict is an important and largely unexplored one.

On 27 April 2007 when President Thabo Mbeki was celebrating Freedom Day at Bhisho renewed riots reminiscent of those which occurred in Soweto on 16 June 1976 took place in the streets of Khutsong.