Violent protests have erupted in Vyeboom village, next to Vuwani in
Limpopo, where police are hard at work trying to disperse a crowd that had been
stoning passing vehicles on the road from Elim to Malamulele.
A police helicopter hovering above wasn’t much of a deterrent as
protesters continued pelting cars and police Nyalas. Two Nyalas were earlier
seen driving back and forth as police officers struggled to contain the
situation when a large mob ran towards Vyeboom crossroads with stones.
Protesters pushed back into the village as police fired rubber
bullets at them, only to return as soon as the Nyalas turned towards the other
direction.
Some protesters were stoning cars from behind the bushes along the
main road. This is where a City Press car came under attack from a group of men,
who emerged from behind the bushes as I drove towards Vuwani town.
They came out throwing big stones at the car, leaving several dents
and a rear right passenger window shattered. Several other vehicles were also
damaged.
The situation remained volatile.
Vyeboom had not been accessible due to barricades and trenches dug
in the roads leading into the village.
It was not known what suddenly triggered the violence but some of
the residents said police had raided the houses overnight and some people were
arrested.
Police spokesperson Colonel Ronel Otto said she was not aware of
any arrests made in the Vuwani area overnight.
Meanwhile, the Vuwani demarcation case – which is the reason for
the unrest – could soon be back in court for appeal.
City Press was reliably told by one of the Venda chiefs that a
decision was taken by traditional leaders to take the matter back to
court.
Vuwani residents lost a high court bid last month to have their
area reinstated under the Makhado Municipality. They had applied to have the
Municipal Demarcation Board’s decision to incorporate their area into a new
municipality set aside.
Traditional leaders were planning to make an announcement on their
decision to go back to court soon.
Their decision came after a marathon of meetings with an
inter-ministerial team led by State Security Minister David Mahlobo in
government’s attempt to restore calm in Vuwani. Mahlobo and the team have been
working tirelessly in the area since last week.