In 2016, a team of HSRC researchers visited Vuwani in Limpopo shortly after dozens of schools were vandalised or burned down during violent demarcation protests. In 2024, the researchers returned to conduct a follow-up study as part of an HSRC-commissioned project marking 30 years of democracy in South Africa. In this article, Modimowabarwa Kanyane writes about resilience and hope in Vuwani, where residents have been rebuilding and restoring what had been lost, and about the new challenges they face.
In 2016, residents of Vuwani in Limpopo witnessed one of the most violent protests since South Africa’s transition to democracy. The unrest resulted in widespread destruction of public infrastructure, including about 30 schools that were vandalised or torched to ashes.
The events drew international attention and raised concerns about the future of education in Vuwani and South Africa at large.
Shortly after the protests, HSRC researchers conducted an exploratory study to understand what led the community to destroy infrastructure that is essential for their children’s future. Their findings pointed to the Vuwani community’s dissatisfaction with new municipal demarcations determined by the Municipal Demarcation Board.
Lupedze Primary School at the Gadlani Village was fully refurbished in 2017 and 2018. However, due to increased enrolment, prefabricated structures were still in use during the HSRC research visit.
| Vuwani’s evolving landscape Vuwani comprises 30 rural villages in the Vhembe District of Limpopo. In 2011, its population was estimated at 2,791, with 710 households. the majority (84%) spoke Venda, while 8% spoke Tsonga, and the remaining 8% spoke other languages, including Sepedi, Sesotho and English. Over the years, the Vuwani’s borders have shifted significantly for various reasons, such as the transition from the Republic of Venda to the Republic of South Africa. Before, Vuwani consisted of three villages – Masia, Tshimbupfe and Nesengani – which later formed one large community. Previously under Makhado Local Municipality, Vuwani was split into two municipalities following boundary changes in 2015. One half remained with the Makhado Local Municipality, while the other was incorporated into the Collins Chabane Local Municipality. Many residents were dissatisfied with this decision at the time. |
HSRC researchers return
In 2024, Vuwani was selected as a research site for the HSRC’s Democracy@30 research initiative. Celebrating 30 years of democracy in South Africa, the HSRC commissioned this project to explore and document how the lives of ordinary people have changed over the past three decades. It also provided a platform for local communities to take stock of the progress made and plan for the next 30 years. Researchers interviewed individuals, conducted focus group discussions and employed photovoice methods to engage with the community.
Education since 1994
When asked about education in Vuwani since the advent of democracy, nearly all respondents agreed it had improved tremendously. One elderly respondent recounted how, before democracy, the community had to build a primary school without government assistance:
“Look at those schools. We started them ourselves. There was no school around here until the principal came to us at the Chiefs Kraal and suggested that we build a school. There was no road there, you see. The only schools that were here were Wayeni and Matshila. We started building that one by laying clay bricks and doing thatched roofing. The ladies used to go and fetch water for us at Dwedwedwe. No one was allowed to go to school. You were supposed to work for three months and the other three months you go to school.”
Rebuilding schools after the protests
After the 2016 protests, the government prioritised the restoration and rebuilding of many of Vuwani’s damaged schools. Some principals noted that, paradoxically, the destruction proved to be a catalyst for positive change, as the replaced buildings were modern and of a better quality than the ones they replaced.
Immediately after the riots, mobile classrooms were installed at the affected schools. When researchers visited in 2024, many of these temporary structures were still in use. The principal of a rebuilt high school noted that the newly built modern structures motivated parents to enrol their children, leading to increased learner intake. However, the new infrastructure capacity was inadequate; so, the temporary classrooms needed to be retained.
The provision of temporary classrooms at the vandalised schools triggered riots in neighbouring communities whose schools were unaffected during the 2016 violent protests. During 2018 and 2019, parents in Mutsetweni Village near Mashau Village, and Rivoni School for blind learners (in a neighbouring municipality) protested and demanded similar resources, as their children’s schools’ existing infrastructure had been insufficient for some time. This led to the provision of extra mobile classrooms at Ndlavheya Primary School, Nwamhandzi Primary School and Marholeni High School in 2019.
At the time of the research visit, some schools had not yet been reconstructed, including Masungulu Primary School in Khurhuleni Xitsonga tribal space and Vhudzani Secondary School in the Mashau village.
Access to healthcare
Vuwani residents were also asked about other challenges, including healthcare.
Nearly all respondents reported that access to healthcare had improved significantly since 1994. Community health facilities and services were now located within walking distance in most villages. Notably, while the 2016 protests saw the destruction of the Tribal Authority Office and the Post Office in Mashau, the nearby clinic was spared and remained operational.
Vuwani’s healthcare facilities are located in various villages within a few kilometres of each other. These include Wayeni, Bungeni, Mashamba and Masia Health Centres, as well as De Hoop and Mashau Clinics. While these health centres and clinics were deemed accessible, most respondents expressed frustration over sporadic shortages of medical supplies. During focus group interviews, some respondents attributed this to undocumented immigrants in the area accessing health services, with one respondent alleging that undocumented immigrants visit the clinics to collect antiretroviral medication to smuggle it out of the country. Despite these challenges, the general feeling was that access to health services in Vuwani was acceptable and should be improved and sustained.
Immigration controversy
Respondents expressed concern about the influx of undocumented immigrants to Vuwani. Some alleged that immigrants secured housing by paying traditional leaders for allocation of stands. Others accused them of participating in illegal activities, such as harvesting wood timber from local plantations at night and then selling it back to the local communities.
Photographs taken during the HSRC’s visits show various informal timber outlets along the roads, where respondents claimed illegally harvested and transported timber was sold. Some residents alleged that timber farm employees aided these operations by offering protection for nighttime raids. Such underground economies and crime were triggered by the high unemployment rate in the province, the researchers were told. Many respondents felt that the state had failed to address unemployment during the 30 years of democracy.
Timber poles displayed for sale to locals along the roadside
Let bygones be bygones
By 2024, some Vuwani residents appeared to have moved past causes of conflict exacerbated by the municipal demarcation. An elderly person said:
“It is very good that we now have our municipality, Collins Chabane. Even those Venda-speaking people who said they didn’t want that municipality are now quiet. The municipality is working. [Before,] Vuwani and Tshitungulwani didn’t want the municipality. Now they have streets paved and streetlights.”
Another respondent added:
“The municipality has brought about a lot of changes. The fight for the municipality was for a good cause. Look, [in] just less than 10 years there is much progress. There are Apollo [solar] lights everywhere. There you can see paved roads. Refuse removal is coming to villages for the first time. Some people are working in the municipality, although there are a lot of corruption rumours … [but] there is change. Unlike when we were in Makhado Municipality. Nobody was ever employed from this side. The [Collins Chabane] municipality has worked. It cannot be an overnight thing.”
Conclusion
Eight years after the 2016 riots, the Vuwani community has shown remarkable resilience and transformation. However, an urgent need exists to prioritise funding for the reconstruction and refurbishment of the remaining schools destroyed in the protests, so every student has access to a safe and conducive learning environment. The collective effort to restore the schools not only brought back the physical infrastructure but also renewed hope and strengthened community bonds.
Beyond education, the researchers believe improving lives in Vuwani also requires upgrading health centres with modern technologies, addressing socioeconomic issues and unemployment, and tackling crime and undocumented immigrants. As part of a holistic approach, communities must be engaged proactively to find solutions.
Research contact: Prof. Modimowabarwa Kanyane is the Executive Dean of the Faculty of Management, Commerce and Law at the University of Venda and a former HSRC research director.
