After all the mayhem, damages and disruptions of business in Thohoyandou over the past two weeks, peace has once more prevailed in the town.

This comes after a committee representing all the affected stakeholders in Thohoyandou was elected.

The committee, named the Thohoyandou Hawkers Association, will, amongst others, be involved in the entire development taking place at Thohoyandou. The elections took place at the Thulamela Municipality boardroom on Thursday last week.

Community services manager at Thulamela Mr Mbulungeni Madi, said it had become necessary for a committee of that nature to be elected. “We have had problems in this town and we did not know whom to contact or which structures to involve in overcoming those challenges. This is the right platform to oversee all the development in this town,” he said.

He said the election of a committee was long overdue as there would have not been any misunderstandings in the running of the town. “We want to work with organized people who speak in one voice to voice their concerns and we move forward as a unit,” he said.

Madi said there might be other stakeholders who feel that they were not represented in the committee. “All are welcome as we have one aim - that of making our town orderly and governable. We want improvement in this town and all can make a meaningful contribution,” he said.

He said he believed that the committee would be a link between the municipality and the people. “These people will pass on information to those on the ground. They should not be left in the dark about the developments in town but should always be informed,” he said.

He said the aim of the municipality was not to disorganize hawkers, but to organize them in an orderly fashion and ensure that they adhere to the rules of the municipality. “The municipality is just like any family which has rules that should be followed. Without those rules being followed, there would be chaos in this town. We would like all to follow our bylaws and if there is anything they do not understand, they are to use their representatives,” he said.

Mr Takalani Malifhologo, the newly elected chairperson of the committee, said he was aware of the challenges ahead of them. “Our first assignment is to sit down and look at areas that should be improved as a matter of urgency. We should also focus on strategic planning as we would like to see development in this town,” he said.

He said building is hard but demolishing what has been built takes a short time.

He said there were many leaks which needed to be sealed before people could speak of development in the town. “The situation in our town is not good and we have to look at ways on how best we can improve the conditions here,” he said.

Malifhologo urged members to support their new leadership as they are doomed to fail if they are alone. “We cannot work like an island but we should walk together with our members and other stakeholders. Together we can always do more,” he said.

Meanwhile, prominent Limpopo businessman Mr Abdullah Patel welcomed the new committee, but with reservations. “The committee is long overdue. The municipality should have started by engaging people before implementing their laws. We believe dialogue is the only recipe for a prosperous future,” he said.

Patel said there should have been consultations and not confrontations between hawkers and the municipality. “We had a fruitful meeting and we expect light at the end of the tunnel,” he said. He added that although he was skeptical about the whole issue, there was always a solution to everyday problems.

Limpopo police spokesperson Capt Mashudu Malelo said there was no need to panic, as police would always be there to protect people and property. “Our members are always on full alert. People should be rest assured that the situation is under control,” he said.

The members of the committee are Takalani Malifhologo (chairperson), Elias Tshivhudzo (deputy chairperson), Beauty Mudau (secretary), Mmbangiseni Mavhulavhula (deputy-secretary), Virginia Mainganye (treasurer), Ntshengedzeni Madzivhandila (PRO), Zwoluga Madega (deputy-PRO) and four additional members, Samuel Muofhe, Abel Ramaremisa, Sarinah Luvhengo and Sarah Mudzunga.