Hands off our chief Masia, warns angry community
ANGRY members of the Masia community threatened to take violent action against any stranger found approaching chief Thovhele Nthumeni Masia's palace.
LIMPOPO – ANGRY members of the Masia community threatened to take violent action against any stranger found approaching chief Thovhele Nthumeni Masia’s palace.
These threats came after strangers were found threatening to set Masia’s palace alight for his refusal to fall under the newly proposed municipality that will serve Malamulele and Vuwani.
The 14 villages that paid tribute to the Masia Tribal Authority were gathered in Vyeboom village on Saturday, and said they could not stand aloof from their leader and they would fight to the end. “When those strangers come back again, they will find us ready for a bloody war,” they warned.
Masia Tribal Authority spokesperson, chief Livhuwani Nkhiphitheni Matsila, said they would remain in the jurisdiction of the Makhado Municipality and they would not allow anyone to push them around to where they did not wish to go. Matsila said they were not against the newly proposed municipality, and the demarcation board could grant it to those who needed it.
The 14 villages that paid tribute to the Masia Tribal Authority insisted that they would remain receiving services from the Makhado Municipality.
“People shouldn’t include us in the new municipality. We can’t tolerate our leader to be mocked because it will push us too far. Hands off Masia, hands off. They have their own leaders and they should rally behind their leader and leave our leader alone. We will remain in Makhado, nobody should force us into the new municipality. People are trying to isolate Masia, and mock him.
“We will remain calm, we are not going to be pushed too far because we also have emotions. We are angry about the threats directed to our leader. They must stop threatening our leader,” were some of the statements made by various people on Saturday.
Chief Mahandana Mabidi said his village received water and electricity from the Makhado Municipality. “We are happy with the IDP of the Makhado Municipality that shows that a lot of service delivery is coming to the Mabidi area. To fall under the new municipality will take us back,” he said.
Masia said he personally had consultations with the cattle, goats, dogs, cats and donkeys in the area and they were also happy grazing under the Makhado Municipality. “It is a critical time and some people lie when they say I hate other cultures. My area is intercultural and we live in peace. My people have brains, they can think, and I don’t think for them,” he said.
“We received information that those people who did not want to fall under the new municipality would be attacked. Those who want to come and attack us must first bid farewell to their families,” he said.
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