Will the Zuma administration give us our land back?

Asks Gash Nape

As committed as ever on their land claim, the Thekwana community converged once more on the 07th February 2010 to give a clear mandate to the representatives to oppose the Mafikeng High Court application by the Bafokeng Royal Nation. The representatives were offered a choice to consult lawyers of repute to challenge the Bafokeng including the Legal Resources Centre. The representatives have since approached the Legal Resources Centre who has officially taken up the matter, and will once more represent the community. The LRC was approached since it represented the community before and is therefore familiar with the community claim. The LRC was also approached for their impeccable record in assisting poor rural communities with their land claims.

We requested the LRC not only to oppose the application in Mafikeng, but also to lodge a counter-claim with the Land Claims Court. We want to see our claim finalised and our land registered and transferred in our community name.

We had hoped that we would have achieved that by now in this year, 2010, It is however clear that there are people working tirelessly day and night and behind closed doors to ensure that our community does not get the land of our forefathers back. They want to continue to reap the mining benefits, mining irresponsibly, while we suffer under terrible living conditions.

The government of President Mandela and President Mbeki have since passed without help. It is now Zuma in office, we await to see what he will do for us. His Minister has been indifferent to our plight so far.