We will not leave this land as it has our ancestors ’ graves, say farm dwellers
MORE than 100 farm dwellers at Boshoek, near Sun City in North West, have vowed not to leave the land on which they live because it has their “ancestral history”.
The angry farm dwellers, who live on land owned by the Royal Bafokeng Administration, were left homeless and had to sleep under plastic tents after the houses they had been occupying illegally for the past 12 years were demolished.
The houses were demolished on Tuesday morning, allegedly on the instructions of the administration. The houses were destroyed by bulldozers, whose drivers allegedly did not produce eviction orders.
The farm dwellers allegedly blocked the main gate to the farm with burning tyres and other objects and threw stones at the bulldozers.
Police were called in and fired rubber bullets to disperse them. Vowing never to move, they said the land had their “ancestral history”.
“Our forefathers were buried here. We were born and bred here and do not know any place other than this one. Where are we supposed to go?” asked incensed mother of eight Setshego Magodiele.
“We want the government to intervene because when elections come, they will need our votes?”
Another irate farm dweller, Meiki Tabane, 48, said: “Why is the Royal Bafokeng Administration only evicting us now? They can at least suggest that we pay rent, not kick us out. What will happen to the graves of our ancestors?”
Rustenburg local munici- pality councillor Jacob Mzizi said the council had set aside R22-million for alternative land in the area.
“We are still trying to see if we cannot buy this same land from Royal Bafokeng, or find an alternative place for these people,” Mzizi said.
“In the meantime, we will give them tents as a temporary solution.”
Cosatu ’ s North West spokesman Solly Phetoe called on premier Thandi Modise to intervene.
“We need premier Thandi Modise and the MEC to intervene urgently. The provincial government is failing the rural poor and farm dwellers,” Phetoe said.
Efforts to get comment from Royal Bafokeng spokesman Keorapetse Tumagole were unsuccessful.