President Jacob Zuma has thanked the community leaders of Vuwani, in the Vhembe District Municipality in Limpopo Province, for a successful stakeholder meeting yesterday which has led to the opening of schools in the area today.
The President visited Vuwani yesterday, 7 May 2017, where he met community leaders and stakeholders in which he emphasised the importance of learners going back to school as soon as possible.
The President's meeting with community leaders decided that the community of Vuwani should be serviced by Vhembe District municipality in the interim while a solution to the demarcation issue is being sought.
This does not mean that the new local municipality, LIM 345, is dis-established. It was further agreed that relevant national and provincial departments will support the Vhembe District municipality in undertaking this new responsibility.
The meeting was convened by President Zuma and attended by community leaders in Vuwani, including His Majesty King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana of Vha-Venda and other leaders representing various community stakeholders such as traditional leaders, business, youth, religious leaders and the pro-Makhado group.
“The engagement has been a success. We are pleases that the community members have agreed to the re-opening of schools. Schools and other essential services should not be affected. Children should learn and other services must be delivered until we find a permanent solution,“ said President Zuma.
The President believes that the agreement that was reached at his meeting with community leaders yesterday is a good first step to addressing the situation in Vuwani. The next step will have to include all stakeholders in the district, including those who support the new municipality and those who call for its disestablishment.
President Zuma spent more than two hours in engagement with the stakeholders and community representatives, where the meeting agreed there was no need for him to proceed to the Sports Ground to address the masses as they were not fully representative of both sides.
"There can be no sustainable solution in which some are included and others are excluded,” added the President.
Enquiries:
Dr Bongani Ngqulunga
Cell: 082 308 9373
E-mail: bongani@presidency.gov.za
