The Inkatha Freedom Party is extremely concerned by the escalating standoff in Malamulele, Limpopo Province and therefore calls on the Minister of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs, Pravin Gordhan, to intervene to bring this unrest to an end.
Residents of Malamulele claim they are not receiving service delivery from the Thulamela Municipality and have for quite some time made a call for a separate municipality.
The IFP calls the Minister of CoGTA to convene a Special Imbizo, with all relevant stakeholders inclusive of the community leaders, Thulamela Municipality, Parliament’s Portfolio Committee on CoGTA, Traditional Leaders, the Provincial Government, SALGA and the Municipal Demarcation Board to thrash out a new approach to deal with this impasse.
The IFP maintains that the same spirit of negotiations that ushered in democracy in 1994 must be applied in this matter.
The IFP condemns the violence and vandalism which has characterised the protests and demands of the Malamulele community. Violence does not create a conducive and enabling environment for discussions and therefore we call for restraint and peaceful protests.
The IFP further makes the clarion call for learners to be allowed to go to school. The total shut down of the education system in the area is totally unacceptable and we call for sobriety of minds in this regard; the black children must not themselves be disadvantaged by this impasse. The IFP calls for a speedy return to the classroom, without any further delay.
The failures of President Jacob Zuma and Premier Stan Mathabatha to fulfil promises they made to the Malamulele community are largely to blame for these problems. South Africa will not progress if its leadership and discourse are characterised by empty promises and a plethora of lies. The laissez faire manner in which the Malamulele crisis is being treated is most unfortunate, much to the frustration of the community.
I will be writing to the Chairperson of the Portfolio Committee on CoGTA to convene an urgent meeting of the Portfolio Committee to receive a full status report on this matter from the Minister of CoGTA, the Limpopo Department of CoGTA, the Municipal Demarcation Board and the Office of the President.
Issued on behalf of the IFP by:
MKHULEKO HLENGWA MP on
IFP Spokesperson on Cooperative Governance & Traditional Affairs on 076 521 3221
