Minister of Communications Ayanda Dlodlo called on residents of Vuwani in Limpopo to maintain order in their communities in light of recent protests over municipal demarcation decisions.

However‚ the minister said the decision to move the area’s authority from Makhado Local Municipality into the newly formed Collins Chabane Local Municipality would not be reversed.

During a post-cabinet briefing in Cape Town on Thursday‚ Dlodlo told reporters that President Jacob Zuma’s intervention in the Vuwani community on Sunday‚ brokered by Vha-Venda King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana‚ ended weeks of violent protests over the municipal border changes.

She said it was agreed that various Limpopo provincial departments would assist Vhembe District Municipality in providing services to Vuwani residents. When asked why government was not entertaining the request of the pro-Makhado group‚ she said government would not yield to pressure to make decisions underpinned by tribalism.

“Since 1994 we have tried to walk away from old apartheid spatial frameworks without fuelling what would be seen as tribalism and not creating communities that are based on tribalism. We would like to see more inclusive communities and inclusive human settlement programmes‚” said Dlodlo.

She said schooling had been allowed to continue in the community‚ where protests shut the area down.

However‚ in a separate situation‚ the ANC was all too glad to move Matatiele Local Municipality from the Eastern Cape to KwaZulu-Natal to appease the African Independent Congress‚ its coalition partner.

The AIC demanded the municipality be returned to KwaZulu-Natal‚ or it would pull out of its coalition partnership with the ANC in Ekurhuleni Metropolitan Municipality‚ Rustenburg Local Municipality and other key councils.

-TMG Digital