Situation tense in Vuwani as demarcation saga rages on

The tense situation in Vuwani continued on Tuesday following a decision by the community on Monday to shut down services in the area after a dispute over municipal boundaries.

There were reports that an SABC crew in Vuwani was chased away by an angry mob. No reporters were injured. No immediate comment was available from the SABC.

Schools were the worst affected as 27‚600 learners in 76 schools could not attend school‚ department of basic education spokesman Elijah Mhlanga said.

• Vuwani school torched in renewed demarcation protestsA primary school was burned down in the early hours of Thursday in Vuwani‚ Limpopo in renewed demarcation protests in the area. 

“We are concerned once again that the situation which we faced last year will continue again this year. This will have a negative effect on the teaching of learners‚” Mhlanga said.

He said there was not much that the department of basic education could do.

Mhlanga said the department needed to check with the Co-operative Governance and Traditional Affairs Department on its efforts to resolve the demarcation dispute with the community of Vuwani.

Police said the situation remained mostly calm in Vuwani on Tuesday morning.

Police spokesman Lieutenant Moatshe Ngoepe said police had been deployed in the area to monitor the situation and to ensure that people were safe.

• 'We have not given up on Vuwani'‚ says Des van RooyenCooperative governance and traditional affairs minister Des van Rooyen has said the Limpopo provincial government was committed to finding a lasting solution to the Vuwani demarcation impasse. 

The shutdown had been organised by the pro-Makhado demarcation task team‚ a community body that is opposed to the inclusion of their areas into the new municipality known as Collins Chabane Local Municipality.

Nsovo Sambo‚ a community spokesman‚ said on Tuesday the shutdown of all services‚ including transport and government services‚ would continue until the grievances of the people of Vuwani had been attended to.

- TMG Digital/TimesLIVE