Vuwani - The Limpopo Department of Education said on Monday that an investigation was underway to determine how some 26 000 pupils who have been affected by ongoing violent protests in Vuwani will be assisted.
This, after at least 23 schools were burned down and four damaged by protesting residents who are opposing the merging of their villages into a new Limpopo municipality.
“We are conducting an assessment that will help determine what should be done, but we are also going to involve all stakeholders,” said department spokesperson Naledzani Rasila.
The protests have resulted in the interruption of the year’s school curriculum.
The unrest began after the broader Vuwani area lost a High Court battle in late April to remain within the Makhado Municipality. Instead, the villages would merge into a new municipality, Malamulele.
During the High Court proceedings, the protesting villagers said the Municipal Demarcation Board had misled the community as their invitation to a public hearing on the matter did not make clear the intention to merge their area into the new municipality.
The subsequent violent protests garnered nationwide condemnation and saw President Jacob Zuma deploy ministers to the area as an intervention measure.
The violence has seen the arrest of at least 23 people for public violence and malicious damage to property, and 21 suspects were set to appear in the Malamulele Magistrate’s Court on Monday for alleged public violence, arson, and malicious damage to property.
Meanwhile, despite the reported calm in the area on Monday, protesters have said they would not back down until the government changed its demarcation decision.
ANA