BUNGENI – About thirty members of the Hlanganani Concerned Group disrupted a speech of the Mayor of the Makhado Municipality, Cllr Brighton Tlakula, during a road show at the Bungeni Stadium last Sunday.

Members of the Hlanganani Concerned Group became rowdy when the programme director mentioned the name Makhado. Before Tlakula could address the meeting, the Concerned Group allegedly said that the mayor has been bought to sell the Shangaans to the Vhavenda tribes. When the Mayor ascended the podium to deliver his speech, the Concerned Group instructed him not to mention the name Makhado, and that he must present his speech in Xitsonga, but all that was in vain.

The matter reached boiling point when the Concerned Group started to sing during the address of the Mayor. Members of the SAPS then took control and restored order. The tension, however, rose again during question time. The Concerned Group stated they don't like the name Makhado, because they are not Venda speaking, but Shangaans.

At that stage the meeting had gone out of control and people could no longer be reined from disorderly behaviour. The mayor, Cllr Tlakula then called off the meeting.

According to the PRO of the Makhado Municipality Mr Peter Muleya, the road show was part of the programme set by the municipality to interact with all community stakeholders within the Makhado Municipality, adding that the main purpose was to clarify people on matters around service delivery in their areas. "Apart from informing community members about progress, the mayor also wanted input from community stakeholders in relation to developmental matters," he said.