Tensions simmer between farmers

Black and white KZN farmers don’t see eye to eye

It’s not yet uhuru for many rural subsistence farming communities in Kwazulu-natal, who say they live at the mercy of white commercial farmers.

The Mncube family in the village of emadwaleni in Vryheid recounted how emerging livestock farmer Mzamo Mncube’s life was snatched away, allegedly by the police.

His cousin, Mthembeni Mfayela, said the emotional scars remain in the aftermath of his brutal killing under mysterious circumstances last

December.

He said the deceased was called to the local police station after he had sold a cow to one of his customers.

“The customers requested that the cow be slaughtered, and its skin removed. On their way home, they were stopped by the police’s livestock unit and they demanded to see the proof of purchase.

“My cousin was then called to come to a police station to provide the proof and he took along the cowskin as evidence. We later heard that he had been assaulted to death by the police,” said Mfayela.

He said Mncube was one of the campaigners fighting against the alleged victimisation of black emerging livestock farmers by white commercial farmers.

“There is a long-standing animosity between black and white farmers. Whenever livestock stray to farms owned by our white counterparts, they impound it and demand money for its release. My cousin was fighting against that, and he had previously received threats from the police.”

Mfayela said it had been an emotional journey trying to find answers. “When we went to the police station to find out what had happened, they just instructed us to take the body and go.”

Subsistence farmer Ndophi Mafuleka said the government had failed black farmers. “We have had several meetings with different stakeholders from the government wanting intervention, but we have not been assisted,” said Mafuleka.

Kobus Koen, representing white commercial farmers, said white farmers in the district had been targeted in their homes and killed. “Commercial farmers are living on the edge because they are being killed. We want to work together with other black farmers for the sake of peace, but they are treating us with hostility.”

KZN department of agriculture and rural development spokesperson Mack Makhathini said it had met the farming community for an amicable solution. “In 2019, a task team was formed to look into these issues. The department, together with the office of the premier, continues to have engagements with affected parties,” he said.