ZEERUST - Parliament's portfolio committee on Arts and Culture on Friday expressed its anger at the burning of the Mmabana Arts Centre in Mahikeng, North West.
The building was looted and set alight by protesters on Thursday evening.
According to the a statement, the Mmabana Arts Centre was a popular tourist destination dedicated to showcasing the arts, crafts and cultures of not only the communities and towns in its immediate vicinity, but those in the entire North West region.
Chairperson of the committee, Xoliswa Tom, said that “while protesters have the right to voice their dissatisfaction, this should not be done by destroying properties, especially those which would deprive not only ourselves but future generations of the deep cultural experiences that the centre had to offer”.
Residents in the provincial capital Mahikeng shut down town this week as they called for embattled provincial premier Supra Mahumapelo to resign. The protests have also spilled over to surrounding towns like Wolmaransstad and Makwassie.
President Cyril Ramaphosa, who flew back from the UK on Thursday night, was expected to speak to African National Congress (ANC) structures in North West in an attempt to restore order.