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The Inter-Ministerial Committee (IMC) on Vuwani welcomes the plans put in place to have matriculants taken to various locations and centers to prepare for their final year examinations.

Since the violent protest that left about 27 schools (11 high schools and 16 primary schools) vandalised and torched, learning and teaching came to a halt in Vuwani and the surrounding areas in the district of Vhembe.

This protests and the subsequent lockdown that included the shutting down of schools deprived about 52 827 leaners from going to school and getting the much needed education. Out is this number of learners, 2 600 are matriculants who have since been unable to sit for their half-yearly examinations.

The IMC welcomes the hard work put in place by the Department of Basic Education (DBE) both nationally and in the Province and other stakeholders who made it possible to have leaners in grade 12 being able to go an prepare themselves for the most important examinations of their lives.

As it was agreed on 31 May 2016 at the meeting between the IMC and His Majesty, King Ramabulana, at his palace in Dzanani, engagements continued to try and find a lasting solution to the challenges in Vuwani did continue.

Government has also being hard at work engaging internally and externally to find lasting solution in Vuwani. As the IMC we are satisfied with the progress that has been achieved thus far.

As we have been saying in many occasions, we are still convinced that only through dialogue a conducive environment can be created for normality to return in Vuwani. The IMC reiterates that children have a right to education and their future is in our hands as parents. To this effect, it is important to note that the inclusion in the Bill of Rights a special section on the rights of the child. This is an important development for a South African children.

We therefore once again salute the indomitable spirit of those who continued to strive for calm in Vuwani and those parents who remain concerned and take action to ensure that their children resume schooling.

“As the IMC, we still stand ready and willing to continue working tirelessly with all willing partners in an effort to ensure that we bring the situation to normality in Vuwani and all the learners and educators are able to go back to class”, said Minister Van Rooyen.

Issued by the Department of Cooperative Governance and Traditional Affairs