Protests expected to flare up as SA heads to polls, warns demarcation board
The Municipal Demarcation Board (MDB) says more community protests are expected to flare up as the country heads to elections.
At least 140 voting stations across the country did not open on time this past voter registration weekend, as community members took to the streets to complain about service delivery.
Vuwani in Limpopo, which has been marred by community protests in recent years amid an ongoing demarcation dispute, saw heightened tensions during the voter registration weekend.
Police were deployed after community members threatened to shut down the area and prevent residents from registering for the elections.
“They (protests) have obviously come up over the weekend during the voter registration drive. Your Vuwanis, for example. There are some communities that are still unhappy about the decisions of the board. We made decisions and we made them in terms of the law but they are aggrieved by these decision,” says MDB chairperson Jane Thupane.
Thupane also says community members often confuse the MBD’s mandate.
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She says the MDB is responsible for municipal demarcations and not provincial ones.
“The board is always made to carry the blame for things that have nothing to do with the board. You will often hear about Matatiele and always when it is tagged, MDB will always come alongside it. Or whenever someone mentions Moutse or GaMothibi. These are communities that are aggrieved by being in one province and they will liked to be moved to another province. And that has nothing to do with the mandate of the board,” says Thupane.
Tensions are also brewing in Moloto village outside Pretoria.
The village, which is situated on the border of Mpumalanga and Gauteng, has been moved Mpumalanga.
However, villagers want to be part of Gauteng, as they still receive their services from Gauteng.
The board says only parliament has the mandate to change provincial demarcations.
“The board is responsible for municipal boundaries and not provincial boundaries. Only when parliament would have run a process of constitutional amendment and moved provincial boundaries shall we move in and adjust municipal boundaries,” adds Thupane.