RUSTENBURG, North West — Rustenburg activist Koketso Berries continues to live in fear after receiving severe death threats, a terrifying ordeal that began when she took the personal initiative to help locate a child who had been missing in the area for five days.
The 27-year-old advocate revealed that her life was turned upside down following the resolution of the missing person’s case. At approximately 5:00 a.m., she received a text message from an unidentified man threatening her life and explicitly warning her to cease all her activities. Shortly after receiving the threat, she was informed that the missing child had been found discarded in the Rustenburg area.
Berries explained that her desperate search inadvertently exposed alleged drug houses and cartel operations in the Tlhabane neighborhood. She emphasized that she did not visit these locations willingly, but rather stumbled upon them while tracking the kidnapped child. The criminal elements, she noted, perceived her actions as a deliberate public exposure of their operations, despite her solely intending to fulfill her civic duty to find the child.
The severe safety risks have profoundly compromised both her employment and her community work. Berries stated she was forced to resign from her job, fearing that the individuals threatening her could easily locate her workplace and carry out their threats. Consequently, all her activist work in Rustenburg has come to a complete halt. She has officially opened a case with the police and is urgently calling for protective measures, expressing her desire to eventually return to her line of work once authorities address the exposed drug houses.
In response to the escalating situation, North West acting police commissioner Ryno Naidoo confirmed that investigations are actively ongoing. Naidu assured the public that law enforcement is doing everything possible to assist Berries, including exploring whistleblower protection protocols.
“We cannot let that stop any normal member of the community from standing up and pointing out something that’s wrong,” Naidu stated. He emphasized that citizens have a legitimate expectation of a response from responsible agencies when they report unlawful activities, and it is the police’s obligation to address those issues promptly.
Despite the ongoing police efforts and assurances, the immediate personal toll on Berries remains heavy. For now, the courageous activist says her faith is all she has to rely on as she awaits concrete protection and justice.
