Villagers upset by R400 ‘fine’
TWENTY-EIGHT unemployed Emachibini residents have allegedly been ‘fined’ by their headman for entering the house of a shunned villager, despite a court order clearing him from wrongdoing.
The Rep spoke to three of them who confirmed being charged R400 each for entering the home of Embo Madoda Initiation School owner, Sithembele Yamaphi. None of them wanted their names published, fearing victimisation.
“Sithembele wrote to the social development department requesting social relief for poor people in the village. Last year he did it and we received food parcels, then the headman summoned us to his court,” the source said.
The letter in Xhosa, loosely translated, summons them to the court and bears the name of headman, Sibusiso Ndzendevu. Some families allegedly had three members who had to pay R400 each.
They said they were never given the opportunity to defend themselves. Asked if they had reported the matter to ward councillor Mlandeli Gxaba, the sources claimed he was part of the meeting.
House of Traditional Leaders provincial chairman chief Ngangomhlaba Matanzima said there was no law that empowered headmen to charge people.
“The headman alone can not charge people, the community must empower the headman and he accounts to the chief. The people must approach the chief who appoints the headman,” Matanzima said. People could go to the police, but he advised them to solve their disputes as involving police led to hostility.
Gxaba could not be reached for comment over two weeks. Ndzendevu said he had not charged the people but the community had.
The money would be used to pay the R12 000 lawsuit by Yamaphi who had taken the headman to court because he failed to recognise his initiation school.
“No one knows about this school. I declared it illegal as it is next to a crèche. We will complain to Bhisho about it. We have shunned him until then,” Ndzendevu said.
The Rep has an interim court order prohibiting the Inkwanca Administrative Area from interfering with a legally operating initiation school.
Ndzendevu said, “We respect the law and that is why we implement our law here.”
Yamaphi, who attended a Chris Hani District Municipality programme for men, wrote to the headman and villagers in 2013 to voice concern over initiate deaths and his intentions to open the school.
He said he had received written consent to operate the school from the late chief Vulisango Mtirara, Lukhanji Municipality and Chris Hani District Municipality.