MJDF takes demarcation issues to the President

Elias Motsoaledi/Ephraim Mogale

The Mpumalanga Joint Demarcation Forum (MJDF), say they are going to escalate the cross-boundary municipalities demarcation issues to the Union buildings in Pretoria.

The forum, from various villages in Elias Motsoaledi and Ephraim Mogale Local Municipalities in Limpopo want to be incorporated to Mpumalanga Province, citing poor service delivery by Limpopo administration.

The area was incorporated from Mpumalanga to Limpopo in 2005 and according to affected residents, proper consultations were not followed when the move was made.

The affected places include among others Groblersdal, Roosenekaal, Sehlakwane Moutse East and Moutse West.

Following the demarcation, a number of demonstrations, which include peaceful and violent protests were staged since 2005 to oppose the decision without any success. A referendum to test the views of residents in the affected area to determine if the majority want to go back to Mpumalanga or remain in Limpopo, was conducted in 2009. However, the results of the view testing votes were never released.

MJDF Secretary, Cassel Masilela, said the forum is going to take the demarcation issues to the Parliament to seek the intervention of President Cyril Ramaphosa, with a hope that he will resolve their long-standing complaints.

“In the course of 2023 to 2024, we want this matter to get Constitutional reviews as the 2003 to 2005 processes were not transparent and proper consultations with communities were not made, placing our area for the past 16 years in an overburdened Limpopo Province,” he said.

Masilela stated that their area is amongst the few others in South Africa that are negatively impacted by cross-boundary after a forceful change by the government and ruling party (ANC), which contributed poorly in the provision of potable water, proper housing, agricultural funding, land tenure upgrading, provision of roads, proper education infrastructure, proper health facilities and the long-standing outcry of more higher learning institutions.

“The forum, with all participating stakeholders, will be taking the matter to the South African Cabinet in Parliament, the National Council of Provinces (NCOP), and the Human Rights Commission as well as to the Constitutional Court,” he said.

Masilela said community engagements will be starting soon with affected communities who will be participating and supporting their move to go back to Mpumalanga Province.

“We are feeling side-lined by the government, the majority of us want to go back to Mpumalanga. The people still want the release of the 2009 referendum results, obviously it favoured the majority of the people who want to return to Mpumalanga. We want considerable decisions to apply in the issues to find closure in the demarcation matter,” he said.