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Vuwani – A group of Vuwani residents opposed to the area’s incorporation into a new municipality do not want to see the municipality’s officials in their area, they have warned.
If leaders of the Lim 345 municipality were “paraded” in their area, it would jeopardise a “peace deal”, according to which the area would continue to be serviced by the Makhado municipality, spokesperson for the group Nsovo Sambo said on Wednesday.
The group released a statement after Communications Minister Faith Muthambi visited the area on Wednesday. Sambo said they did not want to see her or Lim 345 officials in their area. They saw this as an attempt to “legitimise” the incorporation of Vuwani into Lim 345 after it was demerged from Makhado last year.
Vuwani residents said they would not be governed by leaders they did not elect.
“We have indicated that there is no relationship between us and Lim 345 and do not want anything to do with that entity as their relationship with us is that of a rapist and rape victim,” Sambo said.
Vuwani residents boycotted last year’s local government elections, claiming the Municipal Demarcation Board deceived them when the new entity was established. Dozens of schools were torched in protests against the board’s decision.
The peace deal was signed in July last year as part of efforts to have the area incorporated back into Makhado. These talks were still underway.
