Another school in Vuwani, Limpopo was burnt down on Monday, Co-operative Governance Minister Des van Rooyen has said.

“This cowardly act sets us back as a country,” he said on Tuesday.

He is leading the inter-ministerial team deployed to Vuwani to end the violence.

The Mawela Primary School was in the Masakona area.

This month, 50 schools in the area were either burnt down or vandalised, Basic Education Minister Angie Motshekga said on May 10. She declared Vuwani a disaster area. Mobile classes were being brought in to help the affected schools.

The violence followed a Municipal Demarcation Board decision to incorporate Vuwani into a new municipality.

Van Rooyen said there had been protests over the past few weeks, but without destruction of property.

The team had spoken to traditional leaders in a bid to have them provide leadership to their subjects.

Those involved in mediation efforts include father Smangaliso Mkhatshwa a former deputy education minister and a renowned cleric.

The others are former Gauteng education MEC and Wits University education professor Mary Metcalfe, former Ethekwini municipal manager Mike Sutcliffe, and former West Rand municipality manager Joe Mohlakoana.

“We believe this eminent group will be able to bring their experience to bear on the events of the past weeks and resolve outstanding issues,” Van Rooyen said.