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Members of the demarcation task team assess the damage at Mathebula's house after the fire.

House of community leader set alight

 

The police in Vuwani are investigating the burning of a house belonging to one of the local Sanco leaders, Mr Calvin Mathebula.

Mathebula (42), of Vuwani Township, is an executive member of the local civic and member of the Vuwani Demarcation Task Team and has been very vocal about the newly proposed municipality. It will incorporate Malamulele and some areas of Vuwani.

Mathebula was not home at the time of the fire. He is the first victim of those purported to be sell-outs, in the move to include the people of Vuwani in the proposed new municipality in Vhembe. Thousands of residents from around Vuwani came in their numbers on Monday to denounce the incorporation of parts of Vuwani into the proposed new municipality.

During the march, Mathebula's name was prominent on the list of those alleged to be "selling out". They are alleged to have received bribes to advance the cause for a new proposed municipality.

After the march, youths are said to have gone to his house and pelted it with stones, but they were dispersed by the police. Mathebula said he had known about the impending attack and moved his family to safety. "Around midnight, a group of youths came and attacked my house, I was hiding at a safe distance but managed to see them and could identify them.

"This is a sad situation where people with differing ideologies have to go this far to counter one's beliefs. I bear no grudges toward anyone and will not take revenge. These are some of the things that one comes across as a community leader," he said.

He said the damage was estimated at nearly half a million rand as nothing was saved from the house.

Vuwani Demarcation Task Team chairperson Mr Thanyani Mudau said that they would not be intimadated. "We know of course that we are not safe, but our idelogies will stand the test of time and we will not back off. We know it is the beginning but, come rain or thunder, we will not forsake the mandate of our people. This is a free society where there is freedom of speech and we expect to be treated as such," he said.

Vuwani police spokesperson W/O Elijah Malatjie said the fire was reported at around 02:00. "We have not managed to arrest anybody in connection with the burning and a public-violence charge was opened. Investigations are continuing and we hope for a breakthrough soon," said Malatjie.

Vuwani Demarcation Task Team members say they will not change the mandate of the people who elected them.

Members of the Vuwani Demarcation Task Team at the Mathebula home after the fire.

 

Date:27 July 2015

By: Elmon Tshikhudo

Elmon Tshikhudo started off as a photographer. He developed an interest in writing and started submitting articles to local as well as national publications. He became part of the Limpopo Mirror family in 2005 and was a permanent part of the news team until 2019.

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