Mbalula visits Vuwani amid shutdown

Mbalula briefed the media in Polokwane on the protest action in the troubled area.

He vowed to bring the instigators of violence to book. 

"We will succeed, working with our communities to ensure that the perpetrators with selfish interests masquerading as the people's leaders, they will be brought to book," said Mbalula.

Vuwani residents are protesting their inclusion into a new municipality with Malamulele.

Mbalula said they will speak to all those who want to be engaged by government.

"We are fully aware of the interests and decisions have been taken, which, at an objective level cannot be reversed. We've got to move on and law and order must prevail," said Mbalula.

The minister said those who are leading the protest are not the people who end up suffering.

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"We cannot allow South Africa to degenerate to the levels of Vuwani where schools are burnt down, schoolkids are stopped from going to school. The people who are going to suffer are those kids, in terms of their future," said Mbalula.

Cooperative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen said they have isolated the problematic areas in Vuwani, as well as those responsible for causing trouble.

"If there are any resources that we need to commit to in the face of our intervention, those resources should be directed at dealing with those isolated troublesome areas, but also at dealing with those isolated so-called campaigns - those who are intimidating our people, but also those who are behind the intimidators," said Van Rooyen.