Pretoria - Limpopo Education Department has welcomed the decision taken by Vuwani community to allow teaching and learning to resume in schools in the area as of today.
The department said this follows the stakeholders meeting which was addressed by President Jacob Zuma on Sunday.
The President’s visit followed a meeting he had with His Majesty King Toni Mphephu Ramabulana of Vha-Venda, last week.
According to the Presidency, Sunday’s meeting accepted His Majesty's proposal that the Vhembe District Municipality should provide services to the people of Vuwani, while a solution on the demarcation issue is being sought.
“It was further decided that relevant national and provincial government departments should provide support to the district municipality to carry out this new mandate.
“The meeting emphasised that the decision does not mean that the new municipality (LIM 345) is being disestablished,” the Presidency said in a statement.
President Zuma, His Majesty the King and all leaders present at the meeting called upon all community members in Vuwani to work to bring about normalcy in the community. Learners and educators in particular were urged to go back to school.
According to the Limpopo Education Department, the education stakeholders including learners, teachers and parents welcome the move to see all learners in schools.
“The department will assess the back-log and come up with strategies to make sure these leaners are in par with other learners across the province and the nation,” said the department.
The department has urged all learners and teachers to be at schools when lessons resume.
“The department and learners themselves cannot afford to lose any more time. Education is a societal matter and therefore need all participants to work together,” said the department.
President Zuma will go back to the district to address all community members, those who are against the newly established municipality and those who are for.
“After assessing the situation (on Sunday), a conclusion was reached that the community meeting was not representative of the whole community affected by the establishment of the new municipality. It was mostly composed by those who oppose the new municipality,” the Presidency said.
President Zuma wishes to meet everybody and benefit from the diversity of opinions.
He believes that the solution to the Vuwani issue should be inclusive. - SAnews.gov.za
