THE community of Thaba Chweu celebrated wildly yesterday at the news that the municipality's affairs will now be run by the provincial government.

Mpumalanga premier David Mabuza made the announcement at Mashishing Stadium.

The announcement followed his visit earlier to this township that was the first in the province to be engulfed by violent service delivery protests lasting about four months.

Mabuza's first visit was to a squatter camp known as 4x4 where he spoke to members of the community facing "serious poverty".

"The concerns of the people are genuine. There was no first force or second force, so there is no reason to jump to conclusions," Mabuza said.

He then visited the home of Mavikati Madonsela, 19, whose face is deformed after she was shot by police in the head during one of the service delivery protests in the township.

Madonsela told Mabuza that on the day she was shot her grandmother had sent her to buy bread and she was returning from the shops when she was shot with a live bullet through the head.

Mabuza had asked journalists to give him a chance t have a private meeting with the Madonsela and her family before proceeding to the home of 24-year-old Jacob Malakane, who was shot dead by police on the same day as Madonsela.

Mabuza told residents at the stadium that he hardly had five months as a premier but the Mpumalanga community had welcomed him with fire.

"We must work together and you must tell us what you want," he said.

"We were saying the people shall govern, and then let us do so.

"You must know that when you burn a clinic you are destroying your own property.

"If you burn a school, where do you think your children will attend school?" Mabuza asked.

"Education does not come like manna from heaven, we must educate our children in order to bring change in their lives."