Mining Companies and Farmers Make Life Difficult for Mpumalanga Farm Dwellers on Ancestral Land
- Farm dwellers have told parliamentarians they are being intimidated and threatened by some farmers and mining companies
- The delegates are calling for the disturbing allegations to be investigated to prevent further human rights violations
- The Portfolio Committee chairperson on agriculture, land reform and rural development said the visit was to assess living conditions
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MPUMALANGA - Parliamentarians heard horrific stories from farm dwellers who claim they are being intimidated and threatened by some farmers and mining companies. The farm dwellers claim they are being prohibited from keeping livestock, having water and grazing lands poisoned, their animals are being stolen and people are being shot.
Hundreds of family members are also being evicted from their land by mining companies and farmers. The parliamentary delegates are calling for the allegations to be investigated to prevent further human rights violations.
Source: Getty Images
Chairperson of the portfolio committee on agriculture, land reform and rural development Mandla Mandela was among the delegation that conducted an oversight visit to the province’s Nkangala and Gert Sibande districts. The purpose of the oversight visit was to assess the living conditions and environment of farm dwellers, TimesLIVE reported.
During the visit, the delegates met with a family, who is in a legal battle with mining giant Exxaro and is being forced to live amid mining operations. The family is subjected to safety risks and health hazards. Mandela said mining houses make billions, but it is not fair to cut corners when it comes to compensating people.
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The Sindane family who lived on the now owned Exxaro land for more than 60 years told parliamentarians that they want to be compensated fairly for being evicted. The Citizen reported that delegates also visited the Hadebe family who has been living in a community hall for the past 13 years. They, too, were forcefully evicted from a farm that their family occupied for over one hundred years.
SA outraged by claims
Social media users are not buying the parliamentarians’ interventions:
Mokone L Komane commented:
“Parliamentarians are there for business opportunities not to help the people.”
Bonginkosi Qalo wrote:
“Our parliamentarians won't do anything they will just brush shoulders and kiss them because to them they are their masters.”
Shafiek Mogamat Joseph posted:
“Our people are turning on each other...we did not get freedom, we got access to money and now we sit with problems of greed. Where is it going to stop?”
Sibusiso Thenga added:
“This is not new. We need solutions.”
ANC plans to ask farmers to donate some land for reform and redistribution, land affairs proposal leaked
In a related matter, Briefly News also reported the African National Congress (ANC) plans to ask farmers to donate portions of the land to allow for land reform and redistribution in South Africa. An Economic Transformation Sub-Committee Policy proposal document was leaked and details on how the Department of Land Affairs will form a Land Reform and Agricultural Agency were disclosed.
The document was prepared for the ANC policy conference, which is set for July. The proposal emerged under the backdrop of the ruling party’s failure to change the Constitution to be clear on land expropriation without compensation.
Source: Briefly News
