Residents of Vuwani outside Louis Trichardt, who fought running battles with the police during violent protests for months, have vowed to take up the struggle from where they left off last year.
Many were arrested and many properties burnt and damaged during the protests.
The fight against the incorporation of some of their areas into a new municipality that would form part of Malamulele took a peaceful stance when traditional leaders in the affected areas decided to take the legal route. Activities in the area were resumed and pupils were able to write their examinations, even though they lost a great deal of their school time during the ugly protests.
After the suspension of the shutdown and the protests, rumours started doing the rounds that the leadership had been bribed and that the call by the Pro-Makhado Demarcation Task Team that the area not be incorporated into the new municipality had failed.
At the weekend, a rally led by the affected traditional leaders was held at the Nandoni Primary School sports grounds in Vuwani. Dubbed the "Final Push Rally," aimed at reminding residents that "the war was not yet over" was not well attended, compared to the earlier meetings where thousands used to attend.
Thovhele Nthumeni Masia, one of the most influential senior traditional leaders in the Vuwani area, said the rally aimed to remind the residents that the struggle would not end until their grievances were solved by the courts. "We have not given up this just course. Come the 10th of February 2016, we are all going to Pretoria for the court case and we know all who love their area will go there with us. We are also here to assure you that we are still united and that we will fight till the end," he said.
Pro-Makhado Demarcation Task Team spokesperson Arnard Mulaudzi said they had placed a moratorium in the area of Vuwani on all activities that affected the new municipality to be on hold while the matter was still in the hands of the courts. "We have watched with disbelief some of our comrades engaging in activities that are contrary to our stand and we are giving them a warning to stop. We are still more than determined to win this struggle, and if the courts do not rule in our favour, we will come back here and chart the way forward," he said.