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ABSTRACT
A fundamental concern of social science scholarship on borders is the need to understand their dynamics, geopolitics, and impacts as social processes. This study aims to understand the politics of re-determination of municipal borders, and provides an account of why the new municipal re-determination contributed to disputes. A mixed-methods approach, combining interviews, documents and observations was undertaken, and the data collected underwent qualitative analysis. Attempts by the Municipal Demarcation Board to re-determine borders led to violent demarcation protests. Lack of consultation, ethnicity/language differentiation, and limited socio-economic opportunities following the re-determination of borders were the main issues that intensified the dispute.
Acknowledgments
I acknowledge all the respondents in Vhembe District Municipality who participated in this study between 2016 and 2020. I also want to thank officials from the Municipal Demarcation Board who gave useful information in this study. I acknowledge Khathutshelo Mathivha for helping me with drawing of maps.
Disclosure statement
No potential conflict of interest was reported by the author.
Additional information
Notes on contributors
Ndidzulafhi Innocent Sinthumule
Dr. Ndidzulafhi Innocent Sinthumule is a senior lecturer in the Department of Geography, Environmental Management and Energy Studies at the University of Johannesburg, South Africa. He received his PhD in Environmental Studies from the University of Cape Town. His research interests and area of publication include conservation, transfrontier conservation, borders, land reform and human-environment relationships.