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Violence flares up again in troubled S. African township

Xinhua, August 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

Violence has re-erupted in the troubled township of Vuwani in northern South Africa, where 28 schools were torched earlier this year, authorities confirmed on Wednesday.

A secondary school in Tshivulana Villiage in Vuwani was torched on Tuesday night during violent protests, the Department of Basic Education said.

This came despite an agreement reached between the government and the local residents that schooling in the area would return to normalcy on Wednesday morning.

Fire fighters and law enforcement agencies worked late into the night to quell the blaze. It is unclear at this stage what the cost and extent of the damage to the school is.

Minister of Basic Education Angie Motshekga condemned the burning of the school, saying she was appalled that another school has been torched, bringing to 29 the number of schools burnt in this area.

Earlier this year, the country saw horrific scenes unfolding in Vuwani, Limpopo Province, with the torching of and damaging of 28 schools in a protest over municipal demarcations in the township. The protest disrupted services in some parts of the district.

Following the violence, President Jacob Zuma formalized a team of ministers as an Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on May 13 to address the local residents' complaints. Extensive engagements ensued with stakeholders in the district to try and find an amicable solution to the problems raised by communities.

The latest development indicated that all efforts have failed to pay off.

Motshekga called upon law enforcement agencies to act swiftly to ensure those responsible be brought to book.

The wanton destruction of school property will not be tolerated, she said.

"The act of destroying a school is one of the most heinous crimes imaginable. Not only are these criminals damaging state property worth millions of rands that the tax payer will have to fund, but they are holding the lives of these learners to ransom and putting the future of our children in jeopardy," said Motshekga.

She called on the community to help protect schools at all cost.

The community needs to work with police to identify the criminals and put them behind bars, the minister said. Endit