Vuwani says no to muni move

Orlando Chauke

LIMPOPO – RESIDENTS in Vuwani plan to have a shutdown protest against the Municipal Demarcation Board’s (MDB) decision to have them reassigned to a newly-proposed municipality in Malamulele that so far will be known as the Malamulele-Vuwani Municipality, which will be confirmed in August.

This comes after 13 years of grievances for an independent municipality by the residents of Malamulele who wanted to be separate from Thulamela Municipality citing a lack of services as the reason for wanting their own independent municipality.

However, when the MDB acceded to their demand, they gave them a municipality that was inclusive to areas such as Vuwani, which currently falls under the Makhado Municipality.

This led to a division by the residents in Vuwani, with some arguing that they could not be removed from Makhado Municipality to a poor municipality with no proven capability. On Sunday, a group of six traditional leaders and other stakeholders held a meeting in Vuwani to find a way forward regarding the matter.

Their spokesperson, Aluwani Mulaudzi, said the reason they did not want to fall under the Malamulele Municipality was because it did not have the capability to generate its own revenue.

“If you still remember, the demarcation board’s initial reason when it denied them a municipality was on the grounds that Malamulele could not generate its own revenue… now if we’re to be grouped together with them, it would be like the blind leading the blind,” he explained.

Mulaudzi also cited the fact that Malamulele residents had destroyed their infrastructure during their protest for a municipality.

He said this meant that when the newly proposed municipality started to operate, a lot of funds would be channelled towards the fixing of infrastructure that they had destroyed at the expense of Vuwani residents.

“We’re going to have a huge shutdown on Monday, July 20 where we will not only protest, but we will also chase away all those who have gone to make friends with the Malamulele task team, which later sold us out without our consent as the community of Vuwani,” he said.

Meanwhile, Malamulele Task Team general secretary, Dr Jan Nkuna, said he could not comment on what was being decided by some sections in Vuwani and they were within their rights to do so.

“Remember that the MDB has set up a 30-day objection period before the new municipality can be confirmed… so whatever they’re doing is in line with that 30-day objection period,” he said.

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