Did they go too far?

THE chaos caused by residents in the Malamulele area escalated when they were recently told they would not be able to have their own municipality for now.

Following this announcement, residents went on the rampage and set several schools alight. Previously, residents blocked the main road with burning tyres and other debris and caused a complete shutdown of businesses, services and schools, demanding their own municipality.

CV asked residents in Polokwane what they thought about the reactions of Malamulele residents in this matter.

Seefane Bopapa said he sympathised with Malamulele residents because their current municipality was neglecting them. “It is obvious that they have been in talks with their local government for years with no success. Now they are tired of just waiting. That is why they have taken matters into their own hands with the hope that they will get the answers they have been waiting for.”

Tshepo Letsoalo said what residents were doing was not right. “Damaging property will not get them their own municipality overnight. They are misleading the young people by showing them that it is okay to burn things. This matter should have been solved in a more civil way rather than causing such trouble.”

Lebogang Morwana said she was very disturbed to learn about the burning of the schools. “A community without education results in poverty. I see no reason for dragging learners into all this because now their parents are denying them the right to an education.” She said it was not fair that learners had not been able to attend school for so long.

Lazarus Hlaraka said closing down the town and burning schools would not change anything. “The Malamulele people should learn from the recent announcement that they are not going to get their own municipality and stop this. “The sooner they understand that, the sooner everything can resume back to normal and their children can go back to school.”

Blessing Chokoe said he understood that the residents were angry, but they had taken the matter too far. “If the whole country was to shutdown towns and burn schools just to get a reaction from government, then we are misleading each other. Some people are injured or even die during protests; the situation has to be dealt with in a more civil way.”