Swazi Observer

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31 HOMELESS AFTER HOMES DEMOLISHED

By MUKELO MAGAGULA | 2024-05-09

Two families were left in the cold after their homesteads were demolished at Mbondzela following a long standing dispute with the farm owner.

The Mdluli and Nhleko families, which have 20 and 11 members, respectively, were rudely awoken by the sound of heavy machinery in their in the middle of the night on Monday night.

The families, according to a relative to the Mdluli family, were shocked as they were not informed and had they not been awoken by the noise, the demolitions would have happened with them sleep in their houses.

The incident, which happened at Farm Johannes Loop within the bounds of Mahamba Gorge PTY (LTD), follows a series of clashes between the residents and the management of the farm.

According to Thulane Lukhele, a resident deeply imbedded in the dispute, tensions escalated after an altercation on Sunday.

“The farm employees cut pipes that were providing water to the residents in the area. So the youth got angry and attacked them,” Lukhele stated.

He said the situation escalated further when a truck loader backhoe (TLB) descended upon the area under the cloak of darkness, initiating the demolition spree.

Lukhele described the harrowing ordeal as the TLB, accompanied by individuals purporting to be sheriffs, descended upon the community, leaving destruction in its wake.

“They refused to allow us to remove our belongings from the houses. When we asked what they were doing, they said they were given an order by the farm owner to demolish,” he stated.

According to Lukhele, adding fuel to the fire was that the purported sheriffs failed to furnish any legal documentation authorising their actions, leaving residents bewildered and distressed.
Despite intense protests and pleas for a court order, he said the demolition continued relentlessly, leaving two homesteads reduced to rubble.

“They said they were sheriffs of the farm owner and had the paperwork allowing them to carry out the demolitions. However, when we asked for the documents they failed to show them to us,” he further stated.

Lukhele, evidently distraught, shared the anguish of the affected families, notably the Nhleko and Mdluli households, comprising a total of 31 family members.

“The sheriffs said they were coming back even tonight to continue with their orders because they were not done,” he said.

He explained that the root of this conflict traced back to an intricate history of land ownership and disputed rights and revealed past attempts at resolution, including engagement with the ministry of natural resources and energy in 2014.

Farm
Lukhele shared that they have been living on the farm for a long time and their grandparents lived, died and were buried in the area.

“We have been living here for over 100 years and were not aware that this is a private farm. Our ancestors can be surprised if they would wake up and be told this is a farm," he said.

He added that in 2014, the ministry of natural resources and energy was engaged and they came up with a conclusion that they should go and talk things through with the farm owner.

Lukhele further shared that an agreement had been proposed, which stipulated that improved housing for displaced residents be provided should relocation become necessary.

However, the demise of the then-minister of natural resources and energy, Peter Bhembe, saw a volte-face with the farm owner, derailing progress and worsening tensions.

“The agreement was that if they move us from the area, they should build us better homestead than the ones we had. “However, they offered to build us two room houses and rondavels and we refused because we wanted better homesteads and that was just a fraction of what we owned,” said Lukhele.

Khosingivile Dlamini, Farm Johannes Loop lawyer, acknowledged previous court applications and the contentious nature of the situation, citing instances of farm infrastructure, sabotage and fence vandalism.

“This is an old dispute and many court cases have been attended when it comes to the Farm Johannes issue. There have been a number of incidents that include poisoning of the water and cutting of the fence. There was a court application about the dwellers refusing to leave the area, however, we opposed it,” said Dlamini.

Despite court intervention and directives, the impasse persisted, with the ministry of natural resources and energy's involvement failing to yield a lasting resolution.

“The minister at that time said they should go and negotiate but it became clear that no one wanted to engage. However, Minister Jabulani Mabuza had offered in 2014 to provide building material for anyone who would leave voluntarily,” he said.

Dlamini shared that those who left were given that building material, some of the residents no longer live there but still have their homesteads.

Deputy Police Information and Communications Officer, Assistant Superintendent Nosipho Mnguni, corroborated reports of the tumultuous events unfolding in Mbondzela.

“Two houses were demolished. We were called to the area at night when the incident was happening,” she said.

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