VUWANI, May 4 (ANA) – The destruction of schools in the area continued unabated as angry protesters engaged in running battles with the police and torched a seventh school.
Protesters set alight a school at Kurhuleni village on the outskirts of Vuwani late on Tuesday. It was the seventh school in the area to be set alight in renewed protests over new municipal demarcations.
Owing to the violence that erupted on Monday the area remains a “no-go zone” with police keeping watch at a safe distance.
Residents protesting against inclusion of their village in the new municipality torched Khwara and Kurhuleni secondary schools respectively on Tuesday.
Protesters in their hundreds, barricaded roads and battled riot police at Mashau village and Kurhuleni. Police fired tear gas and rubber bullets.
The violent protest, which spread over a radius of about 25km, saw passing cars being stoned and trucks being set alight as the mayhem continued unabated.
The protests resumed after a court bid to stop the Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) from placing the area under Malamulele Municipality failed. On Friday, Judge President Ephraim Makgoba dismissed their application and ruled in favour of MDB.
In court papers Vuwani residents argue that the invitation to a public hearing that resolved to establish Malamulele municipality made no mention of a new municipality.
The MDB said Vuwani community can appeal its decision at the board in 2020.
However, angry residents who insist they were not consulted before the demarcation decision was taken took to the streets on Monday
On Tuesday the Limpopo government appealed to community leaders in the area to end the violent protests.
Riot police said they received a tip that there was a plot to burn Khwara school and Kurhuleni, as they arrived flames was already up.
Levubu police spokesman, Solly Mokhola, said they had recorded other cases of arson, malicious damage to property and public violence.
“Another school has been burnt, our investigations are ongoing,” said Mokhola.
No arrests has been made yet, but police said they were investigating the cases.
– African News Agency (ANA)
