LIMPOPO – A Limpopo task team is expected to meet with the community of Vuwani on Thursday.
Authorities are trying to find solutions after 17 schools were set alight during protests against the rezoning of the area.
Residents don’t want the town to be merged with Malamulele and surrounding areas, under a new municipality.
Learning has come to a halt in the Vuwani area of Limpopo, as authorities count the cost of the damage caused by a night of anarchy and mayhem.
Thirteen schools, thousands of books and furniture, were torched by angry residents on Tuesday evening.
The Department of Basic Education says it now has to make temporary arrangements for the many pupils who’ll have to write their mid-term exams soon.
The destruction is a massive setback.
PIC: more police nyalas arriving #Vuwani @eNCA pic.twitter.com/9q0nDIR5Rz
— Lenyaro Sello (@lenyarosello) May 4, 2016
“It’s destruction of untold damage. At the moment we are still assessing the damage. And for the school that have been completely destroyed it cost R10-million to R30-million to build a school. And that money is not available,“ said the Spokesperson for the Department of Basic Education Elijah Mhlanga.
The Limpopo government says while it recognises residents’ right to protest, the destruction of property is unacceptable.
“One of the reasons to move into the particular area is to ensure that we allow learners to go to school and those that involved protest can continue with protest… we don’t just want to deploy the police to the area without us interacting with the community we really belive that through interaction we can find a solution,” said Limpopo Government Spokesperson Phuti Seloba.
Police have stepped up security in the area. They’re appealing to community leaders to help identify those behind the arson attacks.
The Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga has condemned the destruction of school infrastructure.
In a statement she said “the issues of protestors become obsolete when they resort to criminality that has a devastating effect on the future of children in these communities’.
A satellite police station and a post office were also torched during the protests.
Click on the above video for an update on the latest developments in Vuwani and an understanding of the reason the residents do not want to be part of the Malamulele community.
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