Allegations of human rights abuses and the role of police in the AbaQulusi local municipality will be probed by KwaZulu-Natal premier Sihle Zikalala.
This emerged after he visited two farming districts on Saturday and heard claims that police were present when two people were shot in separate incidents during clashes between farmers and surrounding community members.
Accompanied by provincial director-general Nonhlanhla Mkhize, Zikalala met with the Mthembu and Mnguni families, who were allegedly shot at and their homes demolished by farm owners recently.
Zikalala was also expected to meet farming representatives, but this meeting didn’t take place on Saturday.
In Ward 8, resident Cabangile Mthembu told Zikalala she was assaulted and her home demolished by a farmer for refusing to leave the area.
The farm owner allegedly called on a private security company to remove the Mthembu family and their home, which is situated a few metres from his fence.
Mthembu said members of her family were fearful as they were not allowed near the farm.
“We cannot even build or repair our houses with logs because the farmer has cut down every tree surrounding our home. When we eventually managed to build a house, there was a fight and that is when my sister, Gcinile Mthembu, was shot,” she said.
Addressing the Mthembu family and other residents, Zikalala expressed sympathy and concern.
“We are trying to understand how something like this can be allowed to happen. That during a democratic era, a person with rights can be violated, abused and even shot at by an institution. Through all this, the police were not able to catch anything,” said Zikalala.
The premier also visited the Mnguni family in the same ward, where a man’s house was demolished by a farmer and his son shot after a land dispute.
Fanisiyasi Mnguni told the premier he started building a home on a piece of land given to him by tribal authorities and the community, when a farmer approached them and told them to demolish their property.
“We obviously refused that order and told him he had no grounds or a court document to order us to demolish our home,” Mnguni said.
He said on January 22, as he and his son, Fanele, were applying the finishing touches to their house, the man returned to their home with three other farmers and two police vans. He said the farmer drove a tractor through their fence and into the compound.
Police did not stop the farmers from demolishing parts of the Mnguni home, he said.
“He then drove the tractor through the back wall of the house, demolishing even the roof we had began to put up,” said Fanele.
When he asked the police why they weren’t doing anything, a policeman told him to keep quiet or he would shoot him, said Fanele.
“I didn’t care and didn’t believe him, but he pulled his gun and shot me in the leg,” he said.
Fanele was rushed to a hospital in KwaCeza and discharged three days later.
He said when he went to the Glückstadt police station to lay charges against the police officer who injured him, he discovered the policeman had laid a charge against him.
Zikalala promised to investigate the allegations against the police at the Glückstadt, Vryheid and KwaCeza SAPS.
The minister called for an investigation after several complaints against one farmer, who allegedly chased schoolchildren with a gun. The farmer, who was present, denied the allegations.
Police didn’t respond to queries.
KwaZulu-Natal agricultural union (Kwanulu) chair Sandy La Marque also didn’t respond to queries about the clashes and abuse allegations.
The clashes came after police minister Bheki Cele visited Normandien in KwaZulu-Natal in September after racial tensions between farm owners and workers after the deaths of a KwaZulu-Natal couple. Glen Rafferty and his wife, Vida, were shot and killed on the front porch of their farmhouse in August. Their dog was also killed.
The minister called for an investigation after several complaints against one farmer, who allegedly chased schoolchildren with a gun. The farmer, who was present, denied the allegations.
Another farmer, Darryl Brown, said a number of issues and racial tension in the area were rooted in land reform, or lack thereof.
During his visit, a range of issues were raised as farm dwellers and owners complained about stock theft and allegations of assault.
In response, the Cele and national police commissioner Khehla Sitole ordered an investigation into the Normandien police station.
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