Vuwani

Vuwani residents are ready to vote, but none of the top three parties is wooing them

It was a quiet day at the polls in the Limpopo district with elders wanting to vote and the youth cynical about elections

Vhafamadi Secondary School rebuilt with NLC funding

Threats of another shutdown in Vuwani as matric exams near

The Democratic Alliance thought it would strike while the iron is hot and lead another march to the provincial treasury in Limpopo.

But the problem goes well beyond Vuwani, it said on Thursday, and shows every sign of getting worse.

The SAHRC made significant findings based on hearings with various stakeholders, despite failing to get much insight from pupils themselves.

Early on election day, IEC officials were moving materials, sealed with courier company stickers, but voting stations are still closed.

"Each and every student was hell bent on defending their classrooms. Classrooms were never ever torched," 1976 student leader Dan Montsitsi said.

The twenty-fourth school in Limpopo has been damaged by arson, and teachers are too scared to report for duty at several of the affected centres.

Readers write in about June 1976, vandalism, and job creation.

Widespread protest action reflects a sense of alienation in a democracy, and people feel destruction is the only way they’ll be heard.

Municipal IQ, a body that collects data on protests staged against municipalities says the number of demonstrations are worrisome.

The schools may no longer be burning and police are making progress in finding those behind the fiery attacks, but Vuwani residents are not reassured.

Burning stuff is a sad state of affairs considering the inroads made recently by protesting done right, writes Hansie Smit.