Vuwani schooling disrupted as protest leaders expected in court

16 January 2017

Vuwani – Scores of pupils in Vuwani, Limpopo, were staying home and many shops remained closed on Monday as community leaders, arrested during violent protests last year, were set to appear in a local court.

"We don’t expect any problems. Our deployments are ready to respond to any eventuality," police spokesperson Brigadier Motlafela Mojapelo told News24.

Residents were gathering and boarding minibus taxis to go to the local court, where the leaders were scheduled to appear on charges related to the destruction of schools.

Some pupils said the future of their schooling was at risk if government did not move swiftly to address an ongoing municipal demarcation dispute.

A pupil at Lwenzhe Technical High School said they received a message that there would be no schooling due to the planned "shutdown" during the leaders' court appearances.

"We are not going to school. Now we are afraid this may cause damage to our schooling," the pupil said.

In May 2016, violence erupted after the Municipal Demarcation Board decided to incorporate the area into a new municipality, Lim345.

Fifty local schools were either burnt down or vandalised during protests against the decision. Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga subsequently declared Vuwani a disaster area.

This article first appeared on News24, see here.