Vhembe municipality invites "white community" of Louis Trichardt to meet the mayor, VF Plus says no

The Freedom Front Plus says it will not allow discriminatory language to divide residents or political missteps to overshadow the need for service delivery, after the Vhembe District Municipality advertised a meeting between its executive mayor and one racial group in Louis Trichardt.

The party says the municipality issued the advertisement on 29 October, inviting the “white community” of the town to engage Executive Mayor Miyelani Chauke on matters affecting the community.

VF Plus objects to the wording. In its statement the party said it would not allow discriminatory language to sow division among residents, and that the pressing need for service delivery should not be overshadowed by political missteps.

The party has not said what it wants the municipality to do about the advertisement, and the Vhembe District Municipality has not responded publicly to the criticism. The Enquirer has not seen the advertisement itself and is reporting its contents as the party describes them.

Louis Trichardt, known in Venda as Makhado, is the main town in the Makhado Local Municipality, which falls under the Vhembe district. The town’s residents share the same municipal services, and the question the party’s statement raises is why an invitation to discuss community matters would be addressed to one section of them.

VF Plus says it has published its full statement.