Deputy Minister of Home Affairs Malusi Gigaba began a series of meetings in Balfour, Mpumalanga, on Monday to discuss the recent protests there, his spokesperson, Cleo Mosana, said.
Meetings were under way by 9am as planned, with Gigaba expected to discuss the displacement of at least 100 foreign nationals living in the largely agricultural belt east of Johannesburg.
The schedule includes a visit to the region’s municipal offices and meetings with community leaders and those affected by the violence, to gather various viewpoints on the protests.
About 30 foreign nationals ran to the safety of the Balfour police station last week after some people turned on them during what were initially described as service-delivery protests.
The delegation was expected to include the deputy minister of police and the deputy minister of justice.
Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs Minister Sicelo Shiceka released a report last week on the preliminary findings of a study on a recent spate of protests across the country.
Researchers flagged a lack of responsiveness to issues raised by communities, tensions between political and administrative sections of some municipalities, allegations of fraud and corruption, ward committees not functioning at their full capacity, and poor planning.
The Dipaleseng Local Municipal Council and Community Representatives met last week and released a declaration on Friday, pledging themselves to the restoration of peace and stability in the area.
Meanwhile, police spokesperson Captain Leonard Hlathi said there had been no problems over the weekend. — Sapa