Cattle farmers drive herd to Komani city hall
There were no placards, singing, dancing or burning of tyres, just the bellowing of 300 cattle herded into Komani by their owners.
It was a peaceful protest at the scarcity of grazing land.
There were, however, a few pats of grassy cowdung left behind in the streets afterwards.
The unusual protest that ended outside the city hall brought Komani to a standstill.
Members of the Mlungisi Farmers Association (MFA) drove their beasts down the main Cathcart Street demanding access to unused Enoch Mgijima municipal commonage for grazing, and for people illegally occupying land leased from the municipality by the farmers to be removed.
People stared and took cellphone pictures as traffic through the city and on the N6 backed up during the hour-long stoppage.
After waiting for close to an hour, the farmers met with the acting municipal manager Donavan van Wyk who promised to have a formal meeting with the farmers at 9am on Thursday.
MFA member Rara Kali said: “The camp we are using is small and overgrazed.
“The municipality owns big chunks of land which can be given to farmers.”
Kali said they also wanted to build shearing sheds, and dipping and handling facilities.
He said their livestock were too close to where people lived and were eating plastic and drinking sewage-polluted water.
“We have been asking for a long time but the municipality is doing nothing.
“We have asking for a meeting with them but they never came to the meetings.
“We decided to come with our animals to them and bring the grievances,” he said.