Malamulele in Limpopo does not meet the requirements prescribed by legislation to be a stand-alone municipality, according to a report commissioned by the Municipal Demarcation Board.

“We have noted with appreciation the thoroughness of the study commissioned by the Board, which took a considerable amount of time and effort,” said Dumisa Jele Chief of Staff for the Ministry of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs.

Jele said Sections 24 and 25 of the Municipal Demarcation Act provide the objectives of demarcation and the factors that should be taken into account when determining municipal boundaries.

Some of these factors included the interdependence of people, communities and economies as indicated by spending, employment, existing and expected patterns of human settlement and migration.

Another factor was commuting and dominant transport movements.

Bringing Malamulele to a standstill                            

Recently, residents of Malamulele were protesting and demanding a municipality that was separate from Thulamela. During the rolling protests, learners were barred from attending school and roads were blocked which affected business in the area.

“The Board reported that the study also pointed, among others, to service delivery challenges requiring urgent attention from all stakeholders.

“In this regard, the Department of Cooperative Governance, Traditional Affairs and the provincial government will work collaboratively in support of local government efforts to improve service delivery to all communities,” Jele said.

He said government would ensure equitable distribution of resources for infrastructure investment and development in and around the area of Malamulele.

A joint team including all relevant stakeholders will be established to ensure that the residents’ concerns are dealt with.

He said the outer boundaries of local municipalities in four district municipalities in the Limpopo Province will be investigated by the Board, including the Malamulele area in the Thulamela Local Municipality.

“While there is a broader understanding that communities exercise their right to protest, those actions should not impact on the rights of others to go to their respective work places, and most fundamentally, the rights of learners to receive their education,” Jele said.

–SANews.gov.za