Schools reopen in troubled S. African township after Zuma's intervention

Schools reopened on Monday at the troubled township of Vuwani in northern South Africa, where violence has persisted for almost a year.

This came after President Jacob Zuma intervened in seeking an end to the violence that had haunted Vuwani since May last year.

Zuma on Sunday visited the troubled township, meeting with King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana of the Vha-Venda tribe and other leaders representing various community stakeholders.

During the visit, Zuma emphasized the importance of learners going back to school as soon as possible.

Violence erupted in May last year, during which scores of schools were torched and public properties damaged.

Residents in the area have been protesting against municipal demarcation and the establishment of a new municipality, fearing that this might affect service delivery. The protest disrupted services in some parts of the district, including Vuwani.

Following the violence, Zuma formalized a team of ministers as an Inter-Ministerial Committee 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.

But violence re-erupted recently, prompting Zuma to intervene by himself.

As a result of his engagement, all stakeholders agreed to provide services to the people of Vuwani while a solution on the demarcation issue is being sought, Zuma's spokesperson, Bogani Ngqulunga, said.

Zuma said on Monday the agreement that was reached "is a good first step to addressing the situation in Vuwani."

The next step will have to include all stakeholders in the district, including those who support the new municipality and those who call for its disestablishment, Zuma said.

"There can be no sustainable solution in which some are included and others are excluded," Zuma added.

The continued violence in Vuwani highlights the severity of unrest over poor service delivery in impoverished areas in the country.

Since the end of apartheid in 1994, South Africa has made strides in service delivery, including housing and expanded access to clean water and electricity, but about 1 million families still live in shacks without power, often sharing a single tap among dozens of households, reports said. Endit