Another Vuwani shutdown?

The Pro-Makhado task team have reiterated their demand to be excluded from the newly formed LIM345 municipality (Collins Chabane Municipality), threatening with a total shutdown, should the process of the redetermination of boundaries not be completed by January next year.

The Pro-Makhado task team met with residents at the Nandoni Primary School's sports grounds in Vuwani on Sunday where it gave the communities feedback on the determination of boundaries by the Municipal Demarcation Board.

Residents boycotted the municipal elections earlier this year and they also vowed not to recognise councillors elected in the area. The violent protests in Vuwani and surrounding villages resulted in infrastructure's being damaged and at least 30 schools were targets of arson attacks. The protestors do not want their areas to be included in the new municipality in the Vhembe District.

Thovhele Vho-Nthumeni Masia, who was also present at the meeting, said that they were engaging with the government to ensure that the matter was resolved. “The longest time that this process will take is seven months and the alternative route will take us a very short time. We hope that this matter will be resolved as soon as possible, because once it takes too long some among our people will be growing impatient,” he said.

When giving feedback to the communities, the task team said that they were still pretty much adamant that they would remain with the Makhado Municipality. The task team wants the government to impose Section 21 of the Municipal Demarcation Act on their demand, which will allow them to remain under the Makhado Municipality. They say this would also pave the way for bi-elections to be held in March next year.

 The task team secretary, Mr Arnold Mulaudzi, said that they were giving the government until January to complete the process of re-determining the boundaries. “We want the MEC for COGHSTA (Cognitive Governance Housing Settlements and Traditional Affairs), together with the Minister of COGHSTA, to invoke Section 21 of the Act, because this whole thing is confusing everyone,” he said. He warned that everything would come to a standstill if their problems were not addressed.

News - Date: 23 October 2016

Kaizer Nengovhela

Kaizer Nengovhela started writing stories for Limpopo Mirror in 2000. Prior to that he had a five year stint at Phala-Phala FM as sports presenter. In 2005 Kaizer received an award from the province's premier as Best Sports Presenter. The same year he was also nominated as Best Sports Reporter by the Makhado Municipality. Kaizer was awarded the Mathatha Tsedu award in 2014.

Email: [email protected]